Silver Sun
by VentureH
Summary: In the closing days of the Silver Millennium, a common girl discovers an uncommon power, only to lose everything in a moment of tragedy. But every cloud has a Silver lining, as a new life and new friendships pave the way to a heroic destiny.
1. Prologue

SILVER SUN

A _Sailor Ranko_ fanfic  
by Jason Heinrich

Based on the _Sailor Ranko_ story and webcomic by Duncan Zillman and Rebecca Heineman. All Sailor Moon characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi.

* * *

PROLOGUE

Sailor Pluto paused before the great doors that led into the throne room and tried to fight down the growing sense of dread that had been building in her. She wasn't nervous that she had an audience with the most powerful individual in the Solar System. On the contrary, Queen Serenity usually had such an aura of peace and love about her, that the very thought of talking to her helped calm Pluto's nerves. No, she thought as she took a deep breath and blew it out. It was the uncertainty. As the Guardian of Time she had grown accustomed to having access to the finest details of historical events. But what she had just learned - and what she hadn't been able to learn - left her with more questions than answers.

Sailor Neptune glanced at Pluto. "Are you okay?" she asked her fellow senshi. When Pluto nodded, she shrugged, turned the latch, and swung the huge door noiselessly open. "Princess Pluto to see you, your Highness," she announced with a bow. Pluto entered the throne room and Neptune closed the door and resumed her post, leaving Pluto alone with the Queen.

Queen Serenity stepped down from the dais, her smile warm and welcoming. "Setsuna! It's so good to see you again! Welcome home!" Pluto couldn't help but smile in return. It really had been a long time since she'd been back to the moon. Maybe once she'd delivered her news to the queen she would stay a while and relax for once, take in the sights and sounds of the capital city. Just as soon as she delivered her news... Pluto's smile faltered as the reason for her return stomped down the pleasant thoughts.

Serenity didn't miss the change in Pluto's expression. "Come, Dear, and tell me what's troubling you," she said as she led Pluto to a more comfortable reception area at one side of the throne room. It had plush carpet, several cushioned chairs, decorative plants, and warmer, more subdued lighting; the space was clearly designed to help put visitors more at ease in the presence of royalty. It also contained one of the crystal orbs that allowed the Queen to communicate with her princesses in their castles throughout the solar system. Glancing at the crystal, she observed, "This must be of great importance for you to have travelled so far to see me in person."

Pluto nodded as Serenity seated herself. "Your highness, when you charged me with the care of the Timestream, you instructed me to watch not only for changes to the past, but also for significant disruptions to future events as well."

"Yes," the Queen acknowledged, "though the future is always in motion and difficult to see clearly. I take it something caught your eye?"

Pluto opened her mouth, then closed it again. How could she put this? "Your majesty, how many senshi are there?"

Serenity raised an eyebrow at the question. "I appointed eight senshi: one for each planet save Earth, which is Aethlius's domain. This is well known."

"Of course," Pluto replied, bowing slightly. "Perhaps it would be easiest to show you what I have seen." She closed her eyes, focusing on a specific point in time, and her Garnet Orb began to glow. An image began to form in the communication crystal, slowly at first, then quickly projecting into the air above the crystal. It was a young woman with striking blue eyes and fiery red hair. She appeared to be in a battle of some sort, but when no enemies appeared it became apparent that she was merely in training. Occasionally she would gesture as if casting a spell, followed by a flicker of frustration across her face that was quickly replaced by grim determination as she began her routine again. But what really caught the Queen's attention was the white, red, and yellow fuku the woman was wearing. It was the same style as her own senshi's uniforms.

"Fascinating," Serenity finally said, straightening up. She hadn't even realized that she had stood from her chair. "Were you able to learn her identity?"

"She calls herself Sailor Sun, though that's all the Gates could show me," Pluto answered. She fought back frustration at the incomplete information. The volatile nature of the future made viewing it a challenge. You had to take what you could get.

Serenity pondered a bit, then asked, "She doesn't seem to be able to use magic. Are you certain she's a senshi?"

Pluto nodded. "Either that, or she's an imposter. One thing I have learned from watching the Timestream is that the more powerful a person is magically, the more difficult it is for the Gates to focus on that person. For instance, I can't see you at all: the best the Gates can do is take me to a timeframe in which you are alive."

"That's good to know," the Queen smiled.

"Perhaps," said Pluto, not sharing in her amusement. She nodded at the image. "When I felt the shift in the future, it wasn't difficult for me to pinpoint her as the source of the change. This image is taken from the near future, before she learns how to use her magic, so it was fairly easy for me to observe her at this point in time. However, as time passes her magic ability grows and she becomes as difficult to locate as any other senshi. But then she disappears from the Timestream completely for several thousand years before reappearing. I was able to track her for a little while, but she continued to grow and eventually I wasn't able to locate her at all."

It took little time for the Queen to realize the implication of a senshi as powerful as herself. "Do you believe she is a threat?"

"It's difficult to say, but from what I was able to see she at least appears to be honorable and loyal. However, there's something else."

"Oh?"

"I was curious as to how she could disappear from the Timestream for so long. As I searched the Gates for answers I discovered that..." Pluto paused before continuing. "It wasn't just Sailor Sun. All of the senshi were gone." She looked the Queen in the eyes. "Even you."

Serenity sank back into the chair, her mouth suddenly dry and her eyes wet. "There are only two things I can think of that would cause a person to vanish from time. Time travel..."

"Which I probably would have been able to detect."

"...or death."

Pluto sighed. "I was hoping you would be able to think of something else."

A tear spilled over and traced a line down Serenity's cheek. "I wish I could, Setsuna." She stared at the red-head training in the air over the communication crystal, and shuddered to think of what she represented. "I desperately wish I could."

* * *

Author's Notes:

First of all, thanks for reading! If you haven't read Sailor Ranko, go do it now. That's okay, I'll wait.

This prologue is based entirely on the cover to Chapter 9 of the Sailor Ranko webcomic. It touched off a fair amount of speculation and discussion on the comic's forums when it was posted, as the scene it depicted wasn't in the novel. As of the time I write this, I have no idea whether the author intends to reveal any more details about that scene, so this is my interpretation of what's going on. Besides, it fit so well as a lead-in to this story.

Speaking of the story, I'll admit that I'm not a prolific or speedy writer, so new chapters may be slow in coming. This is also my first attempt at posting anything I've written for public consumption, so reviews are very welcome. A few other comments:

Sailor Neptune: There's a scene in the comic of Angwyn leaving an audience with the queen, with both Neptune and Uranus guarding the doors behind her. For this story, I'm going to assume that the Senshi, with the exception of Saturn and Pluto, took turns doing royal guard duty in addition to their regular posts.

Setsuna's name: Frankly, I never much liked stories that gave the Senshi in the Silver Millenium the same names as their present-day incarnations. To the best of my knowledge, however, Setsuna/Pluto didn't die when the Silver Millenium fell, as she was safe at the Gates of Time. Therefore, she was never reincarnated with a new name.


	2. Discovery and Loss

SILVER SUN

A _Sailor Ranko_ fanfic  
by Jason Heinrich

Based on the _Sailor Ranko_ story and webcomic by Duncan Zillman and Rebecca Heineman. All _Sailor Moon_ characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi.

* * *

CHAPTER 1: DISCOVERY AND LOSS

Angwyn Weaver lay on her back in the grass, gazing up into the deep blue sky at nothing in particular. She brushed a wisp of red hair out of her eyes and sighed contentedly, enjoying the warm Sun and complete, if temporary, freedom from responsibility. Today was her 16th birthday, and her parents had given her the day off from her chores to enjoy it as she wanted. So as soon as school had let out, she had caught the first transport into the city and come up to her favorite park.

The park sat in the hills west of the capital city of the Silver Millennium, and Angwyn loved coming here, though she didn't get to do so very often. Her parents' farm was further west in the Haemus Highlands, and trips to the city took some time. While this meant she would have less free time today, she figured the view was worth it. Off to the north stretched the Sea of Serenity, and from its shore rose the grand crystalline palace of Queen Serenity and her royal court. Beyond the palace's sprawling and immaculate grounds was the city itself. Gleaming towers of colorful crystal and metal reached into the sky and transports wove between them like so many bees around their hives. Just visible on the southern horizon beyond the suburbs was a hint of green, marking the edge of the Plains of Tranquility.

Angwyn had already taken in the sights, and was enjoying her last few minutes in the park before she needed to head back home. A shuttle crossed her view and she watched it as it transected the crescent Earth, quickly gaining altitude. Just as it was about to disappear from view, a small flash marked its passage through the magical dome that made all the beauty around her – indeed, life on the Moon itself – possible. She couldn't see the dome itself of course. Centered at the palace, it stretched nearly 1500 kilometers in diameter, and was several kilometers high over the capital. Angwyn's family had gone camping on the north shore of the Sea of Serenity a few years ago, near the dome's edge. She remembered the stark contrast between the blue sky and sea and green tree-covered hills on the one side, versus the black star-filled space and dry gray dust on the other, just beyond the dome. She didn't envy the original Lunar settlers that had braved such a harsh and unforgiving place so many centuries ago, before Serenity had used the power of her Silver Crystal to create a new dome and bring life to the barren landscape. The settlement's original dome no longer existed – it had been dismantled after the new dome had been created – but the main complex of the settlement was now a museum in the middle of downtown.

But she wouldn't be visiting the museum today, she mused as she stood to her feet. Mom was making her favorite birthday pie, and there was no way she was going to be late to dinner. With a smile of anticipation, Angwyn headed back down the path towards the transport station.

* * *

Beryl had mixed feelings about the deal she had made with the creature that called herself Metalia. On the one hand, with Metalia's subtle influence, Beryl's popularity and power had soared in the last couple of years. She had once been a common peasant, but now people across the region looked to her for direction and inspiration. In fact, she was even aware of a petition to have her appointed as her district's official representative at the palace. While she had planned on the appointment as one step in her overall goal, she was nevertheless pleased that in this case at least, she actually had nothing to do with it. The petition was strictly a grassroots movement. On the other hand, when she was honest with herself it all felt a little shallow. Despite all the attention, there was only one person she really wanted to attract; and to date, Endymion, the Earth Prince, still hadn't acknowledged her existence.

That, and Metalia just creeped her out.

Her skin was starting to crawl even now as she rounded a bend in the underground passageway and came within sight of the cavern in which Metalia resided. She couldn't see her yet, but she didn't have to. She could **feel** Metalia's presence as she neared the chamber. Though no thermometer would register it, it was like something had sucked all heat, all joy – all life – out of the air.

Beryl stepped into the cavern and wedged her torch into a convenient crack in the wall before facing the shadows. She didn't introduce herself – it wasn't necessary – simply saying, "I felt your summons."

One of the shadows moved, turning to reveal a vaguely feminine profile. It was large, twice Beryl's height, and absorbed the light from Beryl's torch as if a bottomless hole had been torn in the air. Two amber points of light gleamed from the creature's head, marking its eyes, and a red diamond-shaped sigil glowed less brightly on its forehead. Roiling shadows stretched out from its head, making a ghostly approximation of hair.

Metalia wasted no more time on formalities than Beryl had. "I have felt a new threat growing, one that must be dealt with if you are to win your prince and establish your 'Dark Kingdom.'"

Beryl frowned. "What could be more of a threat to my reign than King Aethlius?"

Physically Metalia remained the same size, yet somehow she seemed to grow, filling Beryl's vision. Her ice-like presence likewise filled Beryl's mind. "The Earth King isn't the only power in the solar system."

"The Moon Kingdom?" Jealousy surged in Beryl's breast. "I'd heard rumors from the court that Endymion had his eye on the Moon Princess." Suspicions and uncertainty swirled around the icy fog in her mind, finally settling on one individual and blossoming into a cold hatred. "The Moon Queen wants to annex Earth into her kingdom through marriage! I bet she's influencing the prince with that stupid crystal of hers…"

The slowly moving shadows around Metalia's head became more agitated. "That 'stupid crystal,' as you call it, has more power than you can possibly imagine." Her eyes grew brighter, commanding all of Beryl's attention. "If you could obtain it, nothing could stop us." The blackness that was Metalia seemed to shudder at the thought, and Beryl blinked, suddenly aware of her surroundings again. "However," Metalia continued, "the Moon Queen isn't our primary concern at the moment. I have sensed another magic user: one strong enough to create a ripple in the fabric of space and time itself. This kind of power would rival even the Queen's ability. But we **will** deal with this new threat."

A scratching sound to her right made Beryl jump, and she watched with a mixture of fascination and horror as two boulders cracked open, spilling a thin, sticky mud on the floor. _They're eggs_, Beryl realized, as the creatures inside of them struggled more frantically for freedom. A spiked green elbow punched a hole in one, and its owner quickly made short work of the rest of the stone egg. Its companion was even more efficient. A bluish-gray blade stabbed through the side of the other egg and neatly bisected it across the top and down the other side. The two halves of the egg fell apart and a humanoid creature stood to her feet, the blade at the end of her arm shrinking and reforming into a clawed hand. Her green-hued partner kicked away a piece of stone shell that was sticking to her foot and stood as well.

"They are youma," answered Metalia to Beryl's unspoken question. "Creatures formed of the earth and brought to life with pure crystallized life energy. They are stronger than any human, nearly impervious to physical damage, and these two in particular can change form to blend in with humans unnoticed. They will find and eliminate our little problem before it becomes a danger to us."

Beryl glanced doubtfully at the creatures standing nearby, patiently waiting for orders from their dark queen. "If this magic user is as powerful as you say, are only two youma going to be able to eliminate her?"

"The ripple I felt came from the future, so she hasn't fully realized her powers yet. And I know she does not live in the Moon palace, or the Queen's presence would have hidden her."

"So she's unprotected," Beryl grinned.

"Indeed," Metalia responded. "But do not underestimate the task before you. Even with the magic user eliminated, you will need an army to defeat the queen and her warriors. I will teach you the magic necessary to create youma, but I will not spare any more of my life energy to animate them. You will need to find… alternate… means of obtaining the energy."

Beryl shuddered, and it had nothing to do with the chill Metalia's presence brought to the cavern. She had an idea of what she would need to do to collect the life energy her youma army would require.

* * *

A few hours later, Beryl stepped out of the cave system's entrance, flanked by the two youma Metalia had created. Without a word the youma split off, disappearing into the darkness, and Beryl was left alone in the moonlight. She glared up at the nearly full moon, its massive dome giving it the appearance of a giant cosmic eyeball in the sky, watching her every move. "You won't get away with this, moon wench," she spat. "Endymion will be mine, and once I have the throne of Earth, your precious Moon Kingdom will fall in line. The colonies of this solar system have claimed their independence from the Earth for long enough!"

She whirled, purposely turning her back on the silver orb in the sky, and headed back to the city. She had some sacrifices to make.

* * *

It was still about a ten minute walk from the transport stop to her house, but Angwyn didn't mind. The weather was perfect as always, and the transport had been running ahead of schedule, so she didn't need to hurry. Even so, as she turned off of the road she couldn't help breaking into a jog as she headed down the path to her house. Seeing the door to her father's workshop open, she changed course and poked her head inside.

The sterile workshop stood in sharp contrast to the small rural farm on which it sat. Its interior was a testament to technology, filled with machines and electronics in various states of assembly. Aiden Weaver himself sat at a bench, medium-length blonde hair tied back in its customary ponytail and arms buried halfway into… something. It was in too many different pieces at the moment for Angwyn to identify quickly. "Hey, Dad!" Angwyn called out.

Aiden glanced up from his work. "Oh, hi Ang!" he replied. "Wow, is it dinner time already?"

"Probably pretty close, but I haven't seen Mom yet. I just got back. Whatcha workin' on?".

"Oh, the Bowmans' milker broke down, and they asked me to take a look at it."

_So that's what those tubes are,_ Angwyn thought, then grinned. "That's what you get for letting your neighbors know that you're a genius engineer."

Her father chuckled. "That's okay, I enjoy it." Angwyn had to agree. She'd picked up a love of technology from her father, who taught engineering at the University and had been a contributing inventor on a couple dozen different projects commissioned by the Queen herself. As one of only a few individuals who specialized in integrating magic with more traditional technology, he was frequently sought out by the royalty when they had systems that needed to be controlled through less conventional means.

Yet in spite of his high-tech career – or perhaps because of it – Aiden preferred to live simply, and derived a great deal of satisfaction from getting his hands dirty on his farm. And he wasn't above fixing farm equipment for a friend.

"Anything I can do to help?" Angwyn asked.

"No thanks," Aiden shook his head. "I think I found the problem. It looks like this seal wore out," he pointed to where the control module would have been attached to the main body of the milker if it had been assembled, "and moisture got in and corroded the connections. I should be able to clean those off and put a new seal on pretty quick." He smiled inwardly at the flicker of disappointment that crossed his daughter's face. "If you want, you can help me reassemble it after dinner."

Angwyn's smile returned. "Okay, thanks Dad! I'm gonna go see Mom. See you at dinner!" He watched her bounce out the door and down the path to the house. Getting up, he walked over to a drawer and opened it, pulling out a wrapped gift about the size of a shoebox. Somehow he doubted she would be back out to the workshop tonight.

* * *

"Well Cara, I think you outdid yourself tonight," Aiden gushed at his wife. "I already knew you made the best roast in the kingdom, but somehow you managed to kick it up another notch." The auburn-haired woman beamed at the compliment.

Angwyn was leaning back in her chair, with her hands crossed over her stomach and her eyes half-closed. "Mmmmm," she agreed with a contented smile.

Cara Weaver looked at the empty serving platter and crossed her arms in mock annoyance. "And I went to all the trouble to make my birthday pie, just to have you two fill yourselves up on the main dish."

Angwyn's eyes popped open and she sat up like a shot. "Oh yeah, pie! I'm good, Mom; I'll take a big piece!"

Aiden wondered where his daughter got her seemingly endless appetite and shook his head. Holding up his thumb and forefinger close together, he said, "Maybe a small piece for me Dear, thanks!"

As Cara headed back to the kitchen to retrieve the pie, Aiden stepped over to a hutch and pulled the wrapped package he had brought in from his shop out of one of its cabinets. He set it on the table as Cara returned through the kitchen door carrying the birthday pie with 16 candles around its perimeter. She set the pie in front of Angwyn as well, standing next to her daughter opposite her husband.

Aiden put his hand on Angwyn's shoulder. "Before we light the candles, there is something your mother and I thought you should know now that you're sixteen."

Angwyn was taken aback by her father's suddenly serious tone. "What's that?" She glanced back and forth between her parents and started to feel a little numb. _By Serenity_, she thought, _I was adopted!_

Cara looked at her husband a little uncertainly, and he nodded reassuringly at her. Closing her eyes, she waved her hand over the pie.

All of the candles popped into flame simultaneously.

Angwyn stared at the pie, then at both of her parents, then back at the pie. Then she burst out laughing.

Aiden gaped at his daughter. "What's so funny?"

"Trick candles!" Angwyn laughed, clutching her stomach. "You had me going there!"

Cara picked herself up off of the floor. "Um, dear, those weren't trick candles. They were regular, ordinary birthday candles, and I lit them."

Angwyn frowned, trying to understand what her mother was getting at. "Huh?" she asked intelligently.

"I can use magic, sweetheart."

Angwyn stuttered a bit, and her parents could practically see the gears turning in her head. "That... But... Whoa..." Then her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Hey! If you can use magic, that must mean we're..." She trailed off, unable to process the implication of what her parents had just revealed.

But her father shook his head. "No, as far as we can tell, your mother has no royal blood. Trust me, we did a very thorough ancestry search when we found out."

Angwyn frowned, looking up at her mother. "So could Grandma or Grandpa, or anybody else in your family use magic?"

Cara shrugged. "Not that I know of. But we know from the royal houses that wherever it came from, the ability can be passed down from one generation to the next. Perhaps it was a regressive gene, or maybe some members of my family did have the gift but didn't know it. I wouldn't have known either if it hadn't been for your father's research." She smiled at her husband, who returned it warmly. "But the point is," continued Cara, turning back to her daughter, "if this is genetic, then it's possible you can use magic too."

Angwyn sat there wide-eyed, not sure what to do or say. "Why don't you open your gift?" suggested Aiden, nodding at the wrapped box on the table.

Angwyn wasted no time tearing the paper off the box. Inside lay two identical round objects about the size of her palm. Each was made out of a gold-colored metal and had a slight curve, and in the center of the top sat a smooth red crystal. Two straps were attached to the bottom. Puzzled, Angwyn lifted them out of the box, noting how light they were. "They're beautiful," she remarked, looking up at her mother. "I've never seen jewelry quite like this before."

"That's because they're not jewelry," her father answered. She turned back to face him again. "I created these for your mother when she was learning to use her magic. They enhance your ability to sense and use your Spark: the source of a person's magical ability." He took one from her and tapped the red crystal. "This crystal glows when you draw energy from your Spark. It's actually how we discovered your mother's ability." He smiled faintly at the memory. "You were just a baby, only a few months old. I was working on a control feedback system for Royal Naval vessels and she had brought you into the workshop. I had been working with some crystals that would indicate when a system was being controlled directly through magic; I suppose so the regular bridge officers would know to keep their hands off. I asked her to bring some of the indicator crystals that I was finished with over to another workbench, and as she turned around she tripped on a piece of equipment."

"I was carrying you," Cara filled in, "and I was so terrified that you were going to be hurt. I think I must have instinctively pushed away from the floor with my mind, because I seemed to fall very slowly. I had plenty of time to turn before I hit the ground, and neither you nor I were hurt."

"I didn't see her fall," Aiden continued, "but I heard her cry out. When I turned around she was laying on the ground on her back with you safely in her arm. But what really shocked me was that the crystals she was carrying were glowing!" He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm a little ashamed to admit that my first thought was that the crystals were faulty."

Cara mock glared at him. "Yeah, his wife and daughter are lying on the floor, and he's worried about his precious crystals!"

"Well, you were obviously okay," Aiden defended himself, feigning a righteous air. "Besides, you should be thankful that I keep my shop spotless. You didn't even have to dust yourself off when you got up."

"It's the **only** thing on this farm you keep clean," Cara retorted.

Angwyn giggled and Aiden coughed, his cheeks slightly pink. He figured now would be a good time to get the conversation back on topic. "ANYWAYS, it didn't take me long to figure out the crystals were working perfectly, reacting to the presence of magic. Your mother wanted to explore her newly discovered skill, but was having trouble consciously accessing it."

"So you made these things to amplify her magic!" Angwyn interjected. Seeing her father's slightly annoyed expression from being interrupted, she folded her hands in her lap and said meekly, "Sorry."

"Close, but not quite right. As far as I know, no one has been able to amplify magic power through technology alone. Only a talisman could do that, and only the strongest magic users, like Serenity herself, would have enough power to create one in the first place. No, your mother's problem was that she couldn't feel her Spark, and without that, she couldn't consciously draw out the magic. As I mentioned earlier, I created these," he held up the device in his hand, "to increase her **sensitivity** to magic so she could find it." He thought for a second, then added, "They're sort of the magical equivalent of sticking a megaphone up to your ear to hear a quiet sound better. Obviously they worked. Your mother has been improving her skills ever since then, and she seems to have an affinity with fire. In fact," he concluded with a grin, "she's become something of a pyromaniac."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cara deadpanned, juggling three fireballs.

"Right," Aiden sweatdropped. "I keep telling her she's going to burn the house down one of these days if she's not careful." He handed the device back to Angwyn. "You wanna see how they work?"

"Do I!" Angwyn exclaimed. She got up and headed outside with her father.

Cara started to follow her husband and daughter out the back door, but suddenly remembered something and turned around. The birthday pie continued to sit on the table, forgotten, the candles burned down to cold wax lumps on its upper crust. _Well, at least I won't burn the house down that way_, she chuckled inwardly, and turned back out the door to join her family in the yard.

* * *

"There you go," Aiden said as he finished strapping the devices onto Angwyn's forearms. "You wear them kind of like bracers, see?"

Angwyn mimicked a fighting pose. "I doubt they would hold up too good in real hand-to-hand combat, though." She grinned, "Too pretty."

Aiden just shrugged. "We never tried that, but you might be surprised. Those are military-grade indicator crystals there, after all."

Angwyn relaxed her pose and studied the bracers on her arms. "So am I supposed to be feeling anything different? 'Cause I don't."

Cara, who was sitting in the grass a couple of meters away, shook her head. "You haven't tried to find your Spark yet. First why don't you have a seat and relax; then I will guide you through some meditation exercises to help you focus within yourself."

Angwyn seated herself in the lotus position, closed her eyes, and blew out a deep breath. After several seconds her mother continued, "Now take slow, deep breaths. With each breath, draw it deep down into your abdomen. Feel the energy that comes from the breath, and focus on where it goes."

Aiden and Cara watched as Angwyn began her deep breathing, her chest and shoulders rising and falling in a rhythm slow enough that she didn't hyperventilate. She kept this up for several minutes, but eventually her brow started to furrow, and at last she slumped her shoulders and opened her eyes, blowing her last breath out in a huff. "I can't feel anything," she complained. "I'm not sure I inherited anything here. Sorry, Mom."

"Really?" her father asked softly. "I thought you were doing quite well." He pointed at the bracers. "Look."

Angwyn glanced down at her arms and gave out a sharp gasp. The crystals on the bracers were glowing dimly, barely visible in the sunlight. She shielded one of them with her other hand, just to make sure it wasn't a trick of the light. Sure enough, the crystal itself was glowing, though the glow was starting to fade. "But how?" she asked as she found her voice.

Her mother spoke up, "It looks like you're actually getting there, but you're trying to force it. Remember, the bracers will amplify your sensitivity to magic, but you need to relax! Let your breathing become automatic, and just be an observer."

Buoyed by her parents' gentle encouragement, and by the affirmation the crystals had given of her latent magical ability, Angwyn settled back into the slow deep breathing. After a couple of minutes she stopped being aware of what her lungs were doing, and for the first time she could begin to sense the flow of energy within her body. _Ki_, her mind automatically noted, as she traced her life energy to its greatest concentration deep in her center. And there, under the swirling ki and yet separate from it, she felt a different type of energy. A point of warmth, almost like...

_A Spark!_ she realized. _ MY Spark! Is this really magic that I feel coming from it? What can I do with it? I wonder if I can draw some more out?_ She concentrated her focus on the Spark and began to mentally pull on the warm energy it was giving off. Surprisingly, it came easily, and the Spark responded by growing larger, brighter, and warmer. She continued to slowly draw more of the magic out, allowing it mix with the cool flow of her ki. She felt the power, the potential. She didn't know how she could use it yet, but the warm energy coursing through her was exhilarating.

Dimly at first, then more insistently, a physical sensation began to intrude into her meditation. The warmth from the magic suddenly became a little too warm, and with a yelp Angwyn jolted out of her trance. She instinctively yanked her arms up, revealing scorch marks on her pants where her hands had been resting on her thighs. The hands in question were surrounded by a yellow glow, which quickly faded. The crystals in the bracers, however, were glowing brightly this time. She looked over at her parents, and was even more startled to see the look of shock on her face mirrored on theirs.

Her mother found her voice first. "It took me several meditation sessions before I could manifest my magic," she whispered. "And you did it on your first try."

Aiden shook his head. "That was incredible, Ang. Do you think you can do it again?"

"Um, I'm not sure that I should." Angwyn rubbed her legs, gingerly at first, then a little more confidently once she realized her hands were no longer hot. "I think I burned my legs a little."

"Oh my," Cara gasped, jumping to her feat. "Come on dear, let's get you inside and put some ointment on those burns."

Aiden's mind was racing furiously. _I've spent quite a bit of time around the royalty, and I've never heard of any of them being able to manifest their magic on the first try, not even the Senshi. What kind of power does Angwyn possess? And how are we going to keep it a secret? I can imagine the mob scene around here if people were to find out, and the last thing I want is for the Queen to take her away from us._ Troubled and lacking any answers, he followed his wife and daughter back into the house.

* * *

The following day seemed to drag on forever for Angwyn, and very little of her lessons in school actually sunk in. She was too distracted with thoughts of the previous day's revelation, and the implications of her father's stern warning afterwards to not reveal her magic ability to anyone. Ever since she had touched her Spark, she had remained dimly aware of its presence, and it was all she could do to resist tapping into that power to see what she could do with it. So it was with an enormous sense of relief that she boarded the transport for home once the school day was ended. When the transport stopped at the end of her street, Angwyn was out of the door before it had a chance to finish opening. The driver just shook her head as she closed the door and continued on her route, wondering where the red-haired teen got all of her energy. _I could use some of that myself_, she thought.

Cara was hanging the laundry on the line when she spotted Angwyn coming down the path. She stepped in front of the door, forcing her daughter to come skidding to a halt to avoid running her over. "First," she said, leaving Angwyn's mouth hanging open with an interrupted question, "welcome home. I have some fresh cookies in the kitchen and you can have a couple, but I want you to hurry up and get changed so you can get your chores done." Her eyes twinkled as she added, "I'm not going to do your work for you two days in a row."

Angwyn smiled. "Okay, Mom. And thanks for taking care of them yesterday, by the way."

"You're welcome. It was your birthday after all. And I know you're anxious to practice your magic again, but make sure you get your chores done first, okay?"

"Sure," Angwyn replied. She sighed inwardly as she stepped into the house, making a detour through the kitchen to grab a handful of cookies. She had been itching all day to learn more about her new-found ability, but the farm work for which she was responsible usually took until nearly dinner. _Oh well_, she thought as she shrugged off her school uniform and slipped into the considerably more comfortable tunic and pants that she usually wore around the farm. _Mom __**did**__ acknowledge that I wanted to practice with the magic, and she'll have more time to help me after dinner anyway._

Much to Angwyn's relief, the work that afternoon helped take her mind off of things, and before she knew it her father had returned home from the University and dinner time had come. As the family polished off the remains of the supper – Angwyn once again eating twice as much as everyone else – Cara pushed her chair back. "Everybody stay put," she said. "We have dessert tonight."

Angwyn and her father both raised an eyebrow, as dessert was usually a rare occurrence in their home. Their curiosity was quickly rewarded however, as Cara returned from the kitchen with the forgotten birthday pie from the day before. Aiden chuckled, "It looks like someone was a little distracted by her birthday gift last night."

Angwyn blushed and shook her head. "I can't believe I forgot about the pie. I'd been looking forward to it all day, too."

"Well, I certainly wasn't going to throw it out," Cara said as she set the pie on the table. "It's already cut, so go ahead and take…" She stopped when she realized a quarter of the pie was already gone.

"'Ank oo, Mum!" her daughter said, her mouth full. Cara just smiled and served herself a slice.

* * *

The table had been cleared and the dishes were cleaned up. Angwyn tucked her bracers into her belt, grabbed the bucket of scraps for the pigs, and headed toward the back door, stopping in the kitchen to talk to her mother, who was wiping down the counter. "I really want to try to learn how to control this magic, Mom, and I was going to practice after I fed the pigs, but I was wondering if you could come out and help me?"

Cara nodded. "Sure hon, but I'd like to spend a little time with your father first. I'll meet you out there in about half an hour, okay?"

Angwyn nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you out there." She started to turn to the door.

"One more thing," Cara interrupted. "Your father wanted you to practice out behind the barn. Less chance of someone seeing you from the road back there." She chuckled. "He also mentioned something about having two pyromaniacs in the house now and getting you as far away from it as possible when you practice. I think he's still worried about us burning the place down."

Angwyn laughed as she opened the door. "I'll try to be careful."

* * *

"And that's why we may not be able to stay here on the Moon," Aiden concluded. He and Cara were sitting at the dining room table, having a somewhat unpleasant discussion about their future in light of Angwyn's remarkable magical aptitude.

Cara wasn't buying her husband's explanation. "But I know magic too, you know. If the Queen were to take Angwyn to the palace, she would certainly want me there as well. And as my husband, I'm sure she wouldn't separate us. We would still be together as a family, and Ang and I would get proper instruction on how to use our magic."

"Cara, you know that neither you nor I would be happy there. We moved out here to the country when we got married for a reason. Neither of us liked the fast pace of city life, and the court would be even worse, with all of its formalities and traditions."

Cara rubbed her forehead. "I know. It's just that I've never been off of the Moon, and the thought of relocating to Mars or Ganymede scares me half to death."

"Well," Aiden reasoned, "I already figured the Jovian moons were out of the question, since they're not terraformed. Those colonies would be worse than living in the palace. Can you imagine being cooped up in that museum downtown for the rest of your life? On the other hand, Mars is completely habitable, and not very heavily populated. We could find a nice, out-of-the-way piece of property there and effectively disappear."

"But what about your career?" Cara countered. She shook her head. "We would just have to give up so much."

Aiden reached over and rubbed his wife's shoulder. "One problem at a time. We don't have to make this decision right now anyway. Let's see how Ang's skill develops first."

Cara sighed and sat up straighter. "You're right." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I need to get out there and help her pretty soon anyway."

At that moment a knock on the front door drew their attention. "That must be Seamus Bowman come to pick up his milker," Aiden commented. "I'll get it." He got up and walked into the living room and opened the door.

A tall, dark-haired woman with odd pale green eyes stood on the step, regarding him coolly. "I'm looking for the magic user," she said without preamble.

Though Aiden managed to keep his face neutral, he about panicked inside. _Crap, how could they possibly have found out so fast?_ he thought. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he dissembled.

"You lie!" the woman snarled. "We sensed the use of magic energy on this property." Suddenly the woman transformed, her skin rippling into a pale green that matched her eyes, and spikes tearing through her sleeves from her elbows. The revealed youma brandished a sword from somewhere and pointed it at Aiden's throat. "WHERE IS SHE?"

Years-old self-defense training kicked in and Aiden shifted his weight into a ready stance. He had been captain of the martial arts team as a student in the University, but that had been a long time ago, and he had never actually fought in combat. He had certainly never faced a creature such as this. His hardened face belied the fear in his heart. "You won't find what you're looking for here," he said coldly. "Now get off my property!"

With a roar, the youma charged through the door, intent on skewering the human that had dared defy her. Aiden rotated neatly out of the path of the blade and grabbed her hand, giving it a quick pull and a twist. The shocked youma found herself disarmed and off-balance, crashing to the living room floor. In a flash, she flipped onto her back, driving her spiked elbow into Aiden's calf. With a cry of pain, Aiden brought the sword down, piercing the monster's chest with her own weapon. There was a strange crack, and the youma's eyes went wide with shock for a split second before she disintegrated into dust.

"What's going on?" Cara cried as she ran into the living room from the kitchen.

Aiden turned to her, grimacing at the pain in his leg. "Some kind of monster attacked me. Get the med kit: I need to stop this bleeding. Then we need to call secur-" He was cut off as a bluish-gray blade erupted from his chest.

Cara stared in horror as her husband's body slid off the bladed arm of a second youma and fell to the floor with a sickening thump. "Now," said the creature, "you will tell me where the magic user is."

Terror turned to rage as Cara locked gazes with the monster that had murdered her husband. Her eyes glowed red with fiery magic, and a brilliant ball of energy formed between her hands.

The youma grinned ferally. "Ah, so you're the one we're looking for. Thanks for making this easy." With a click the razor-sharp claws on her un-bladed hand extended several centimeters, and she crouched to charge her prey.

She never got the chance to make that charge. With a roar of anguish, Cara released the energy she had barely been containing. The last thing the youma saw was a blinding flash of white, then nothing at all.

* * *

"Man, I'm glad I still had this pail with me," Angwyn muttered as she dumped some water on the hay in the feeding trough, extinguishing the flames she had created from an errant fireball. "Gotta work on my aim for sure. I guess Dad was right about keeping me away from the house." She frowned as a little bit of smoke still rose from the hay. "I'd better put some more water on that just to make sure it's out."

She went back to the front of the barn and refilled the pail from the faucet there. As she turned to head back to where she had been practicing, a noise from the house caught her attention. Even from the barn she thought she heard shouting, and a cry of pain. "What in the world?" she wondered. She listened for a few seconds, and when she didn't hear anything else, she started down the path to the house.

She had barely taken two steps when she heard another cry, and the next thing she knew she was blown backwards as the house erupted in a brilliant fireball.

Angwyn lay on the ground for a full minute in near shock, shielding her face from the burning debris that was falling around her. Finally she clambered to her feet and stumbled down the path to the smoldering remains of what just a couple of minutes before had been her home. "Mom?" she croaked. "Dad?" Her cries became more insistent, as she frantically scanned the wreckage for any sign of her parents. Tears drew tracks through the dust on her cheeks. "MOM! DAD! DADDY!"

She rounded the front of the house, and stopped in her tracks as she saw the badly burnt body lying inside what had once been the front door. "No," she whispered as the brutal reality of the situation crushed her spirit, dropping her to her knees on the singed grass. The gentle warmth of the Spark within her erupted, fueled by unbridled emotion, and the uncontrolled magic surged outward with her cry of anguish, casting shadows even in the light of the Sun.

* * *

In a private dining room at the palace, Queen Serenity dropped her spoon.

Her daughter Pandia looked up sharply, as did Cytheria, the Princess of Venus, who had joined her friend for dinner. Sensing that something was amiss, Cytheria jumped to her feet in a literal flash, revealing the familiar orange and white fuku of the Senshi of Venus. "What's wrong, your majesty?"

Serenity took a deep breath. How could the two young women in front of her not have felt the wave of magical power that had just swept by? She concentrated for a moment, pinpointing the source of the disturbance, then exhaled. "Gather the other Guardians, Venus," she commanded. "We're taking a trip to the Haemus Highlands. I think I'm finally going to meet Sun."

Confused, Venus looked at Pandia, who shrugged, clearly as in the dark about her mother's cryptic comment as her friend. Serenity was already headed out the door, so Venus followed to carry out her queen's instructions.

* * *

Author's Notes:

And we're off, with the first full chapter of this story finally completed. Thank you for taking the time to read it, and I hope that you will consider taking a few more minutes to write a review if you are so inclined. Before anyone asks, Spark = Star Seed. This will be explained further in the next chapter.


	3. In the House of the Queen

SILVER SUN

A _Sailor Ranko_ fanfic  
by Jason Heinrich

Based on the _Sailor Ranko_ story and webcomic by Duncan Zillman and Rebecca Heineman. All _Sailor Moon_ characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi.

* * *

CHAPTER 2: IN THE HOUSE OF THE QUEEN

Sailor Venus was out of the transport and onto the lawn of the small farm before the vehicle had even touched the ground, scanning quickly for any potential threats to her queen. She relaxed visibly when she saw that Sailor Mercury was already on the scene, directing the Royal Emergency Services responders and doing a fair impression of a human fire extinguisher by using her Shabon Spray to help put out spot fires for the forensics team. Sailor Jupiter stepped out of the transport behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, relax," she admonished. "We knew the scene was secure before we even arrived. What's gotten into you?"

Venus shook her head. "You didn't see the look on Serenity's face at dinner, Jupiter. Whatever happened here, she felt it and it caught her completely by surprise. That just doesn't happen, you know."

Jupiter thought for a second. "Oh, I don't know. Remember her birthday party a couple years ago? Her reaction when she opened Pluto's gift?"

Venus chuckled despite her mood. "Yeah, I don't think I'd seen her turn that red since that time I... uh..." The blonde started to blush a little herself. "You know, she never did show us what that gift was."

Jupiter was about to drill Venus about her little slip, but an approaching officer brought her concentration back to the task at hand. She raised an eyebrow as he got closer. Something about him seemed familiar.

"Captain Merrick Shelton of the RES, Haemus battalion," he introduced himself, saluting. Glancing past the senshi, his eyes went a little wide, and he bowed. "Your majesty."

Serenity stepped up next to Venus and nodded to the captain. "Report, Mr. Shelton. Who lived here and what happened?"

"Property records indicate the farm is owned by an Aiden and Cara Weaver. As you can see, the farmhouse was completely destroyed by an explosion that originated within the structure. We've determined the explosion was magical in nature, as we've picked up fire elemental readings on all of the debris, and especially at the epicenter of the explosion. We've even detected residuals from fire magic from as far away as behind the barn."

Jupiter looked at her queen in surprise. "Magic? A royal did this?" She produced a communicator from subspace. "Mars is with the princess at the palace. I'll have her start a roll of all of the nobility that are on-world at once."

Serenity waved her off. "No need," she said, and turned back to the captain. "Were there any survivors?"

"One, a teenaged girl," he replied. "We believe she may be the owner's daughter, but she's unresponsive and we haven't had a chance to run an ID check yet. She's in the medical transport now. There was also a body inside the front entrance. No word yet on whether it was one of the parents, but the forensics team just got into the house. We should know soon if anyone else was caught in the explosion."

"I'd like to see the girl," Serenity declared. She turned to her senshi. "Jupiter, see if you can assist Mercury and the forensics team. I want to know details of just what happened as soon as they have them." Jupiter nodded, stowing her communicator back in subspace, and headed toward the house. "Venus, you're with me."

"There was one other thing I wanted to show you," Captain Shelton continued as he, Serenity, and Venus started across the lawn toward the medical transport. "We scanned the girl shortly after we arrived. She was clean – no residual magic on her – so she was apparently not near the blast when it went off. However, where she was sitting..." He gestured to a perfect circle in the lawn, completely void of grass. It was slightly concave and glassy, as if a superheated ball of plasma had just barely touched the surface. The captain took a deep breath and concluded, "The circle reeks of Holy magic, your majesty."

For the second time that day, Serenity went rigid, and Venus let out a gasp. Only the strongest of mages had the power to evolve their magic beyond the typical elemental power into Holy energy. It was the power of life, creation, and annihilation, and to the best of Venus's knowledge, only two individuals in the entire solar system had that power: Queen Serenity and the near-mythical Sailor Saturn. Had Saturn awakened? That didn't make any sense; she would have been aware of the kind of kingdom-threatening peril that would necessitate Saturn's return and intervention. Perhaps someone from one of the royal houses had more power than they had been led to believe? Venus shuddered. If that was the case, then judging from the scenery, the individual in question wasn't likely to be friendly.

Serenity, however, had already moved past her initial shock and was considering something else the captain had said. "Wait. Did you say the girl had no residual magic on her? At all?"

"Yes, ma'am," he responded. "We believe she was far enough away from whatever happened here that she wasn't touched by the magic, though we think she did witness it. Unfortunately, whatever happened in this spot," he nodded at the glassy circle on the ground, "must have been particularly traumatic, because that's where we found her kneeling when we arrived, and she hasn't said a word to us the entire time. She's in some sort of emotional shock."

Serenity frowned, and for the hundredth time that day Venus wished she could crawl into her regent's head and find out what had her so out-of-sorts. It looked like Serenity was about to say something, but at that moment Mercury came running over, followed closely by a forensics technician carrying a portable scanner and a vial. "Your majesty," Mercury said, bowing quickly. The technician followed suit with a nervous bow of his own, nearly tripping since he hadn't yet come to a complete stop. Venus suppressed a giggle as she appraised the young man. _Skinny, brainy, uncoordinated, and blond – cute though – yeah, he looks like Mercury's type._

Mercury took the vial from her companion and held it out to the queen. It was filled with a grayish-green dust. "Jupiter sent us over," she began. "I thought you should see this. We found it under the body near the front door." Holding up her Mercury computer, she gestured at its screen. "The dust's mineral composition indicates that it's not of lunar origin. The closest geological match I could find is from the area around Earth's capital. There are also some biological elements in it that we couldn't identify."

Serenity studied the contents of the vial for a moment. "Are you saying that this attack may have come from Earth?" she asked the technician.

The young man nervously licked his lips to wet them, as he found himself suddenly put on the spot. "Uh, we, um, haven't ruled out the possibility of this being an accident." Seeing that everyone was continuing to stare at him, he quickly added, "Though an Earth-based terrorist attack is one possibility we're considering."

Serenity handed the vial back to Mercury. "Thank you. Let me know if you find out anything else." Mercury and the technician bowed and headed back to the house, while the queen turned back to Captain Shelton. "We have a lot of "might's" and "maybe's," but no answers yet. Take me to the girl."

"This way, ma'am," replied the captain, and they continued their short trek across the front lawn of the small farm. As they stepped around the back of the medical transport, Venus looked inside to see a short girl with fiery red hair sitting on the bench. She sat hunched, blue eyes vacant, staring at the floor. She didn't even look up as the two women stepped into the transport and sat down on the bench opposite her. Venus' heart ached as she considered that this girl's life now lay in utter ruin, like the decimated house outside. Knowing that someone was affected by the event was one thing, but seeing that effect etched on the face of the human being right in front of her was something entirely different.

From outside the transport, the captain cleared his throat. "With your permission, I have some other duties to attend to, so if I may leave you with her?" When Serenity nodded her assent, he bowed and stepped out of view. Venus noted that her queen was no less touched by the girl's plight than herself, as expressions of concern, compassion, and – something else? – fought for preeminence on the silver-haired woman's face. Compassion won, and Serenity stepped forward, kneeling in front of the girl and gently lifting her chin so that she was looking directly into her eyes. "Hello?" she said softly. "I'd like to help you. Can you tell me your name?"

At first the girl didn't respond. She continued to stare blankly into the queen's eyes for several seconds before recognition slowly dawned. With a start, she pulled away from Serenity's touch, sitting bolt upright. Wide eyed, she stammered, "Q- Qu- Queen Serenity?"

Serenity smiled gently and spoke softly, trying to put the girl at ease. "Yes child. What's **your** name?"

"Um, Ang- Angwyn, your majesty! Angwyn Weaver."

"It's good to meet you, Angwyn. Is this your home?"

"Yes." The girl hung her head. "At least... it was."

"Hey," Serenity said gently. Angwyn glanced back up, the haunted look back in her eyes. "Do you mind telling us what you saw?"

Angwyn took a deep breath and didn't say anything for several seconds. Finally she responded, "I was out at the barn pra- feeding the pigs when I heard someone shout. I started to come back to the house, then it just blew up!" She suddenly grabbed Serenity's hand, causing Venus to tense for a second. "Who did this?" she pleaded, stricken. "Who killed my mom and dad?" It looked like she was making a supreme effort to keep from bawling all over the queen.

Serenity covered Angwyn's hands with her free hand and gave them a squeeze. "That's what we're here to find out." Her gentle smile slipped slightly as she added, "I won't allow anyone to get away with attacking my people like this."

Venus felt it would probably be unwise to remind the queen that the "accident" scenario was still on the table, instead saying to Angwyn, "That's right! It's the senshi motto: Love," she stepped forward and put a hand on the girl's shoulder, "and Justice."

Angwyn glanced up at the blonde senshi, who she hadn't really noticed until now. Slightly awed, she managed a weak, "Thanks."

Serenity drew the girl's attention back to herself. "Angwyn, I only have one more question for now." When Angwyn nodded, she continued, "Do you know how to use magic?"

Venus was convinced her queen had lost it. Commoners didn't have magic abilities, and this girl certainly wasn't royalty. Besides, that captain had already told them that they had checked her with a magic scanner. If she had any magic ability at all, it would have registered.

Angwyn sat quietly for a moment, looking at the floor again. "Yes," she finally responded.

Venus's rear end hit the bench behind her with a plop.

"I just found out yesterday," Angwyn continued. "It was my b-birthday. M-Mom c-could t-t-too…" As she finally broke down, Serenity pulled her into a hug, holding the girl tight as her shoulders heaved with her sobs.

Venus stared at the red-head sobbing on Serenity's shoulder. Suddenly all of the queen's odd behavior since dinner made sense. Somehow she had **known** that they would find a magic-wielding commoner. That's why she had called off Jupiter's call to Mars, why she had been surprised when the scanner hadn't revealed any magic on the girl, and why she **wasn't** surprised now. Granted, the failure of the scanner to detect Angwyn's ability was still an oddity, but odd was becoming par for the course today. "B-but, how?" she finally managed to get out.

Serenity patted Angwyn's back as the girl continued to cry. She glanced back at Venus. "We can figure that out later. Right now we need to take care of our friend here. Angwyn?" Angwyn's sobs had degenerated into hiccups, and she sat up, her eyes bloodshot. "Do you have any other family, dear?"

Angwyn shook her head. Her mother had been an only child, and her father's only brother had died when she was very young. It wasn't something Aiden had liked to talk about much, but Angwyn had gathered enough to know that there had been some sort of accident that had killed both her uncle and her grandfather. Her grandmother had passed away a couple of years later. As for her mother's parents, they had left with a colony ship over a decade ago, and no one had heard from them since. The lost ship had made news headlines for months.

"Well, that settles it then," Serenity stated firmly. "You'll just have to come live with me."

"Wh- wha?" Angwyn gaped at the queen. "Y-you mea- *hic* – you mean in the palace?"

Serenity nodded. "You're going to need a place to live, and training in your newfound skills. We can provide you with both." Venus noted that she had carefully not mentioned that they would also want to keep a close eye on this enigma, in addition to keeping her safe in case whoever had attacked her family came back to finish the job.

Turning to Venus, Serenity instructed, "Go get Jupiter and Mercury. The RES can finish up here." Standing up, she held her hand out to Angwyn. "Shall we go home?" Still a bit dazed, the red-head took her hand and allowed herself to be led out of the medical transport and across the lawn to the queen's vehicle. Serenity was careful to keep herself between the girl and the carnage that had been her home, but Angwyn never once looked up, keeping her eyes on the ground. As they reached the royal transport, they were met by the three senshi, and they climbed aboard.

As the vehicle's engine hummed to life and the door started to shut, Jupiter looked back at the people working on the scene, her expression thoughtful. Just as the transport left the ground, her eyebrows shot up and she snapped her fingers. "That's it!" The other women, including Angwyn (who looked a little shell-shocked at being in the presence of three sailor-suited defenders of love and justice), glanced up at her in surprise. "I knew that captain looked familiar!"

"You've met Captain Shelton before?" asked Mercury.

"No," replied Jupiter. "But he looks just like my old boyfriend!"

Venus groaned and Mercury rolled her eyes, while something that sounded suspiciously like a snort came from the queen's seat at the front of the cabin. Angwyn just sighed and buried her head in her hands.

* * *

Angwyn groaned as she rolled over in the luxurious bed, trying to ignore the knocking on the door to her room. She had only just managed to fall asleep a couple hours ago, and right now she was so tired that she could have been laying on the bare floor and it still would have been irresistibly comfortable. She groaned again as all of the turmoil and heartache that had kept her awake all night came flooding back, ensuring that she wasn't going to get any more sleep for a while. Rolling onto her back, she desperately wished that this whole series of events had been just a horrible nightmare. Unfortunately, the impossibly cozy bed, tall ceilings, elegant décor, and servant standing over her demonstrated otherwise.

"Eeek!" she squealed as the fact that a stranger was standing there finally registered.

The servant gave a small bow. "I apologize for startling you, Miss Weaver. The queen has requested your presence at 10 o'clock. You may wish to get washed up; I'll be back with breakfast and an appropriate change of clothes in half an hour." With that she bowed again and glided out of the room, closing the door silently behind her.

Angwyn swung her feet over the side of the bed and sat up. She instantly regretted it, as a headache, courtesy of her lack of sleep, slammed her right between the eyes. "Unh," she grunted, and sat still for a minute before slowly standing up. She padded over to the window and pulled back the drapes. At first she was a little disoriented, having not really payed attention when she was led to her room the night before. "Night" was something of a relative term of course: while schedules on the moon were based around the standard 24-hour Earth day, the sun outside the window was still fairly high in the lunar afternoon sky. Though it didn't help her headache, Angwyn was glad for the light at the moment, as it allowed her to view the landscape and get her bearings. She was on the south side of the palace: off to her left was the city, with the suburbs spreading out ahead of her. And if she pressed her face up against the glass and looked far enough to her right, she could just catch a glimpse of the hills to the west of the palace, and the road that led up to her favorite park. Knowing that one familiar landmark was nearby gave her a surprising amount of comfort in what was otherwise such unfamiliar surroundings.

Angwyn turned away from the window and headed over to the washroom. Like the rest of her quarters, it was elegantly appointed without being too lavish. As she pulled off her tunic – which she had never bothered to change out of the night before – she noticed with some sadness that it had a faint smell to it, like a mix of livestock and smoke. More distressing were the small scorches in the fabric from the embers that had fallen around her as she had sat in front of her burning house. Hardening her jaw, she dropped the clothes in the wastebasket and turned into the shower.

The hot water was like a balm to both body and spirit. She let it splash on her forehead, soothing the pressure and pain of her headache, and allowed herself to relax, her mind drifting off to some distant neverland without trouble or sorrow. It was with no small hesitation that she finally stepped out of the shower and toweled off, figuring she needed to be at least somewhat decent and presentable when the servant returned. She was wrapped in a snug robe, brushing out her long red hair when the expected knock on the door came. "Come in!" she called.

The same servant as before entered the room, pushing a cart loaded with breakfast foods both steaming and frosted. Up until that moment Angwyn had been sure that she wouldn't have much of an appetite that morning, but when the servant lifted the lid off of the main dish, her stomach decided otherwise. A decidedly unladylike growl from her midsection caused her to blush, but the servant didn't seem to notice. "Wow, that looks great," Angwyn commented as she walked over to the sitting area, where the servant had laid out a set of dishes and was pouring some juice into a glass.

"We brought you a variety of different foods, so just eat what you like, and you can leave the rest. We'll customize your menu once we have a better idea of what you prefer," the servant responded. As Angwyn seated herself she continued, "Your clothing will arrive shortly," and started to turn back to the door.

"Wait!" Angwyn called after her, causing her to pause mid-turn. "What's your name?"

The servant blinked, obviously not accustomed to being addressed personally. "My name is Sandrine," she answered.

Angwyn's eyes glistened with moisture. "Thanks, Sandrine," she said. "I... well, I know it's just breakfast, but this means a lot. More than I can say, really."

Sandrine's eyes also began to look suspiciously moist as she bowed. "It's my pleasure to serve, Miss Weaver."

"Please just call me Angwyn."

For the first time that morning, Sandrine's professionally neutral expression cracked into a smile. "As you wish. If you need anything, just page us using the intercom on your desk." With that she stepped out and shut the door behind her, but not before taking one last glance back at the diminutive red-head gazing wide-eyed at the food, biting her lower lip as she tried to decide what to try first. Sandrine smiled again and headed down the hall.

Angwyn had polished off half of the feast and was taste-testing half a dozen varieties of diced fruit that she couldn't identify when there was another knock on the door. Hastily swallowing the tart pink citrus that she had just popped in her mouth, she called out "Come in!" once again. Much to her surprise, the head that poked in wasn't Sandrine's brown bob-cut, but the long blonde hair and red bow of Cytheria, the princess and senshi of Venus.

Angwyn jumped to her feet, nearly upsetting her chair. The front of her robe caught the edge of the plate from which she had been eating, flipping it clean over with a loud clank and sending the remaining pieces of fruit scattering across the table. One landed in an unfortunately full cup of red juice, splashing the stain-inducing drink all over her toast, the tablecloth, and her white robe.

Mortified by the faux pas, Angwyn bowed deeply as her face turned about the same shade of red as the juice stains on her robe. "Princess Venus!" she cried, not daring to look up.

The other woman just laughed. "Please, only courtiers looking for favors call me 'Princess Venus'. To my friends I'm just 'Cytheria', plain and simple."

Angwyn wanted to protest that the princess was neither plain nor simple, but kept her mouth shut.

"Oh, for crying out loud," continued Cytheria. "Stand up already." She grinned. "We can't get you dressed if you're all hunched over like that."

Angwyn glanced up, wide-eyed, to see Cytheria holding out a bundle of clothing. Slowly straightening up, she stepped over to where the princess was standing and hesitantly took the clothes, hanging her head again to hide the furious blush. She wanted to ask why a senshi of all people was waiting on her, but couldn't think of the right words. Cytheria saved her the trouble. "I'll be escorting you to see Queen Serenity in a little bit, but I wanted the chance to get to know you a little better first. Why don't you go put these on, and then we'll chat?" Angwyn nodded – something of an accomplishment considering she was already looking at the ground – took the bundle, and scurried into the washroom.

A couple minutes later she emerged, dressed in a simple yet elegant tunic-and-pant set. The basic style was actually quite similar to the dirty work outfit that she had disposed of earlier that morning, yet there was no mistaking these clothes for farming attire. The fabric alone would have cost ten times what her previous outfit would have sold for new; and this was perfectly fitted, with tiny inset jewels under the collar and across the shoulders that were barely visible but added sparkle without being gaudy. The soft purple pants offset the smooth taupe color of the top, with a shimmery golden-cream sash tying it all together around her waist. It was all quite stylish, and perfectly suited to an informal meeting with the upper class.

"Beautiful!" Cytheria gushed, clapping her hands and causing Angwyn's blush, which hadn't diminished in the slightest, to grow even deeper. She stepped over to the red-head, eyeing her appraisingly. "That top really helps your hair to stand out. I really must compliment the staff; I doubt I could have chosen better myself! Now come over here, sit down, and finish eating while I do your hair." Angwyn did as she was told, somewhat dazed and at a complete loss for words as the energetic blonde scurried into the washroom and returned with an armload of hair care products. The whole scene felt completely upside-down to her. Cytheria fingered her red locks as she grabbed a brush. "You know," she commented to Angwyn, "this is a really beautiful hair color, and so rare." Her eyes sparkled. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Angwyn finally managed to find her voice. "Um, why are you doing this? I'm not... I mean... I'm just a commoner! And you're Sailor Venus!"

Cytheria let the hair she had been holding drop down and laughed. "Oh, don't worry about me, I like playing with hair!" She smiled more gently. "Besides, Angwyn, you're not 'just a commoner.' You're the first non-royal to ever show an ability to use magic. News travels fast in the palace, and I'm afraid you've become something of a celebrity." Though she couldn't see Angwyn's face, Cytheria could sense the teenager's mood shift. "Don't worry," she reassured her, "your meeting with the queen will be private. You won't have people gawking at you."

But Angwyn hadn't even considered being a spectacle. While the activity and downright bizarre feeling of the morning had monopolized her attention, the hole in her heart left by the previous night's attack remained. Not even Cytheria's effervescence could drive away the cold emptiness that filled her soul as the mention of her magic reminded her of all that she had lost.

* * *

Angwyn and Cytheria walked down a tall hallway, lined on one side by equally tall windows that let in the golden sunlight. Despite Cytheria's claim to want to know Angwyn more, the princess had more or less dominated the conversation as she completed Angwyn's hair, not letting the younger girl get in more than a sentence or two at a time. To Angwyn's distress, most of Cytheria's conversation had just been palace gossip, which Angwyn found dull and pointless, especially since she'd never even heard of half the royals Cytheria mentioned. Mercifully, Cytheria had stopped talking as they neared the throne room.

The two women stepped out of the hallway and turned into a large foyer lined with columns, at the end of which stood the huge double doors to the throne room itself. Sailor Mars stood guard before the doors, the senshi's presence silently announcing that the queen was within. As they approached, Mars nodded to Angwyn and smiled, saying, "It's good to meet you Angwyn." Her long black hair swirling around her waist, Mars turned to her counterpart and added, "The queen is expecting you; go right on in." Putting action to her invitation, she swung one of the huge doors open, allowing Angwyn and her escort to step through.

Angwyn's eyes swept the room in awe and not a little trepidation. Marble seemed to be the construction material of choice, as ten different types of the stone were arranged in subtle yet intricate patterns, giving homage to the ten original worlds of the Moon Kingdom. Sitting in the very center of the palace, there were no windows in the walls of the throne room; rather, a great crystal dome overhead allowed the sunlight to bathe the room in a warm glow. A trick of the dome's curve focused more light on the throne, which sat on a raised dais at the center-rear of the room. Much to Angwyn's surprise, the throne was empty.

"Hello Angwyn," came a familiar voice from Angwyn's right. Turning, she saw Queen Serenity emerging from a small alcove on that side of the room. She momentarily forgot her anxiety in her surprise at seeing the queen dressed in what was, for the queen, casual attire. She wore a blouse similar to Angwyn's, but of a shimmery pale blue fabric, complemented by a deep blue flowing skirt that came to mid-calf. It was so contrary to the regal, full-length winged gown that Serenity always wore in public, that Angwyn wouldn't have recognized her if it weren't for the trademark long silver hair bound up in twin odango on the top of her head.

Angwyn remembered herself after a moment and bowed low. "Good morning, Your Majesty."

As Angwyn and Cytheria approached the alcove, Serenity gestured to a woman with short black – almost blue – hair that stood within, waiting for them. "I'd like to introduce you to Minerva. You may know her better as Sailor Mercury. She's our resident expert on, well, just about everything. She'll be analyzing your magic and will help us determine the best course of training for your skills."

Angwyn nodded in acknowledgment. Of course she knew who Minerva was. Besides the fact that she had been on the transport that had brought them all back to the palace the night before, Angwyn had been a huge fan of all the senshi since she had been a little girl. She knew all of their names, personalities, and likes and dislikes (at least according to the fan club rumor boards); she could name all of their magic attacks; she even had owned the complete set of limited edition senshi action figures, with the exception of the extremely rare Sailor Saturn doll. Meeting all of the Inner Senshi over the past day would have been a dream come true if it had been under different circumstances. As it was, it just added to the surreality of the situation.

Serenity and Cytheria seated themselves in a pair of plush chairs in the alcove while Minerva produced the Mercury computer and opened it. Angwyn noticed the queen glance at a crystal ball adorning a short column next to her chair, as if seeing something there, before returning her gaze to Angwyn. She didn't get a chance to ponder it however, as Minerva began, "I'm going to start out with a simple scan of your aura to get a reading on your magic. Just stand there; this will only take a second." She pointed her computer toward Angwyn and tapped a key. After a few seconds, she raised an eyebrow and repeated the action. This time she frowned.

Both Serenity and Cytheria leaned forward in their chairs. Cytheria voiced the question that was on both women's minds. "No magic reading?"

Minerva shook her head. "None. It's the same result that the RES got last night." She glanced at Angwyn, not completely hiding the suspicion in her expression. "What type of magic could you use?"

"Fire," Angwyn replied.

"That's what the RES was reading all over the place last night," Cytheria recalled.

"Can you demonstrate your magic for us?" Serenity asked.

Angwyn glanced around the furnished and carpeted sitting area nervously. "Umm, okay, but would it be okay if I did it out there?" She gestured toward the spacious marble-tiled throne room. "My control isn't so good, and I don't want to burn anything."

Serenity nodded, and they all stepped out of the alcove. As the other women watched, Angwyn closed her eyes and turned her focus inwards. Breathing deeply, she followed the flow of her ki around her center as she had in that first meditation session with her parents, but could not sense the warmth of her Spark as she had before. After almost a minute she opened her eyes and frowned. "That's weird," she muttered.

"What is it?" asked Minerva.

"I'm not sure," replied Angwyn. "It doesn't feel the same as before. Maybe..." Trailing off, she pulled the twin bracers that she had received on her birthday from under her sash. As the only personal items that had survived the destruction of her home, she had wanted to keep them as close as possible. Now she strapped them onto her arms and prepared to try to find her Spark again.

"Wait, what are those?" Minerva demanded.

Angwyn paused, surprised at the anxiety displayed on the faces of both the senshi present, and looked down at her forearms. "These are to help me find my Spark," she explained. "My dad made them so my Mom could..." She paused a second to force her emotions down, then continued, "could learn to use her magic. They're how I found out I could use magic too. I... I don't know, but for some reason I can't feel my magic right now. I think these can help."

Minerva looked like she wanted to ask another question, but Serenity gestured toward Angwyn. "Go ahead, continue."

Once again, Angwyn closed her eyes and focused. As before, she could trace her ki down and around her center. However, even with the bracers she could sense no warmth of magic where her Spark should have been. The ki swirled around it, but in that spot was just a cold chunk of nothing. This time when she opened her eyes, she felt tendrils of panic wrapping themselves around her heart. The dark crystals on the bracers confirmed her fear. "It's gone!" she breathed. "I can't feel my Spark at all!"

Cytheria looked at Angwyn with concern, and asked, "I hate to ask, but what is a Spark?"

Minerva saved Angwyn the trouble of answering. "I think she's referring to her star seed. Just let me adjust some settings here... There, that should do it. Angwyn, I'm going to run one more scan on you, so just hold on for a few more seconds." She ran her scan, and her expression fell as she viewed the result. "Nothing." She looked at the queen. "The Mercury computer isn't detecting a star seed at all. I was sure that was impossible! I thought all sentient beings possessed a star seed?"

"It certainly is strange," Serenity replied, "but I have an idea. Angwyn dear, I'd like to do a little 'scan' of my own." With that, she placed one hand between Angwyn's shoulder blades, and the other low on her abdomen; uncomfortably low in Angwyn's opinion, but she said nothing. Serenity closed her eyes and concentrated. After a moment Angwyn felt her midsection grow slightly warm as energy flowed between Serenity's hands, through her center. The queen stood that way for almost a minute, unmoving, before releasing Angwyn and stepping back. She studied the girl for a moment before finally saying, "Interesting."

"What?" asked all three of the other women in unison.

"You're right, Minerva," she replied. "She doesn't have a star seed. She has a star _crystal_."

"What?" repeated both of the senshi, while Angwyn just stood there confused. Minerva waved her hands. "Wait, if she has a crystal, then I should have picked up some trace of magic for sure. Are you positive?"

Serenity nodded. "Yes I am, though I've never seen or even heard of a situation like this before. She has a crystal, but it's completely inert. It's not channeling any power at all." She turned back to Angwyn. "I'm sorry dear, but I don't think you will be able to access your magic for some time, if ever."

Angwyn just hung her head for a moment before looking up, her eyes wet and a wan smile on her lips. "Well, I guess I don't have to worry about being a celebrity." She dropped the smile. "Wh-where will I live?"

Serenity looked puzzled for a second. "Angwyn, I said you could stay here, and that hasn't changed."

"Even without any magic?" Angwyn queried, incredulous. "Even though I'm not royalty?"

The queen shook her head, sadness in her eyes. "My compassion isn't limited to your lineage, dear. Besides, I never go back on my word. If I said you can live in the palace, then this is where you can live. I'll protect and provide for you, you will receive the best education, and no matter where life may take you in the future, you will always have a home here with me."

Angwyn just stood there for a moment, tears flowing freely now, unable to speak. Finally she stepped forward and threw her arms around her benefactor. "Thank you," she whispered.

Serenity smiled and patted Angwyn on the back, holding her until the girl managed to compose herself. As Angwyn stepped back, looking a little embarrassed, Serenity beckoned Cytheria over. "Please show Angwyn back to her quarters," she instructed. "And if she's feeling up to it, she may enjoy a tour of the palace and grounds. This is her home now, after all."

Angwyn allowed herself to be led back out of the throne room, as her escort began to expound on the benefits of the royal compound. "You're going to love it here! There's always something to do, whether you like sports, music, plays – there's the Royal Lunar Library if you're into books: you could spend your whole life in there and not read them all, but who would want to do that? Well, Minerva would, but she's different. Of course, you're going to need new clothes. We have tailors and even a small mall, but if you want the best deals, let me know and I'll show you around downtown. For instance, I know this guy that runs a little shop out of his basement – you'd never even know it was there – and he has the most amazing prices on top-brand shoes..."

"Wait a moment," Serenity instructed Minerva as the large doors closed behind Cytheria and her red-headed charge. "There's something I want to show you." She led the senshi of Mercury back to the sitting area and touched the communication crystal. An image formed within the crystal, projecting into the air above it to display the girl that had just left, only clad in a red and white senshi uniform.

"What?" gasped Minerva. "A senshi?"

"A couple of months ago, Pluto saw this image as she monitored the Timestream and brought it to my attention," Serenity explained. "I didn't want to get her hopes up, but despite what I told her, there is little doubt in my mind that Angwyn will eventually regain access to the power of her star crystal and learn to use magic again. I need you to instruct her and prepare her: we can't risk her coming into power that she doesn't understand and can't control. I suspect that is why she can't use her magic now."

Minerva thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "That is a possibility. If she had a strong magic potential, and that magic was unleashed all at once, it could have crystallized her star seed and essentially shorted it out. Indeed, we know that strong emotion can sometimes be the key that unlocks magical power, and yesterday's events were very traumatic for her."

"I agree," Serenity replied. "It also explains why the spot where they found her registered Holy magic. An outburst intense enough to crystallize her star seed – and intense enough for me to feel here at the palace – could also have pushed her normally elemental magic across that threshold."

Minerva nodded, then closed her eyes and shook her head as if to clear it. Looking at the image above the crystal she asked, "So she's going to be a senshi?"

Serenity shook her head. "This is only a possible future. I certainly have no intention of appointing any more senshi. The eight that we have now should be more than enough to handle any threat. And I know that you four Inners continue to train, especially since you took on the task of protecting my daughter as well as myself."

"Yes, ma'am," Minerva acknowledged. "With your leave, I'll start preparing a training schedule right away."

"Just be sure to give her a couple weeks before you bury her in books," cautioned the queen. "She's still mourning, and needs time."

"Of course," agreed Minerva. She bowed and turned out of the sitting area, leaving Serenity to study the image floating over the communication crystal.

There had been more to Pluto's warning than just a possible addition to the existing team of senshi. After returning from the Weaver farm the night before, Serenity had done some research into Angwyn's family, and had learned how one by one they had all died or gone missing. When she added to that Pluto's discovery that all of the senshi would die sometime after "Sailor Sun" had joined their ranks, it seemed almost as if the girl was cursed. Serenity didn't believe in fate or curses, but it still nevertheless seemed prudent to be cautious.

A chime sounded in the throne room, reminding her of her upcoming luncheon with representatives from the Martian Farmer's Co-op. With a sigh, she again touched the crystal, causing the image to vanish as the sphere went dark. A queen's work was never done. She turned her back on the crystal and headed toward a changing room in the rear of the main throne room to don her traditional gown. Serenity had made up her mind: there would be no Sailor Sun.

* * *

Author's notes:

Unlike the modern senshi, it's evident from this chapter that the senshi of the Silver Millennium don't have disguise fields, or at least they don't use them. I figure that in the near-utopian society of the Moon Kingdom, there simply wasn't a need for them. Remember that in _Sailor Moon_, the reincarnated senshi are schoolgirls, and just relearning their powers, so both they and their families would have been at risk from the repeated waves of enemies that they had to face if their identities had been known. However, though it's not really stated in this chapter, the Silver Millennium senshi are much older and haven't had to face a real enemy in centuries.

Thanks for the kind words and for sticking with me through this long writing process. Bonus points to anyone who caught the _Letters from Juilliard_ reference.


	4. The Seed of an Idea

SILVER SUN

A _Sailor Ranko_ fanfic  
by Jason Heinrich

Based on the _Sailor Ranko_ story and webcomic by Duncan Zillman and Rebecca Heineman. All _Sailor Moon_ characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: THE SEED OF AN IDEA

Angwyn leaned against the window of her quarters, gazing out into the lunar night. Here at the palace she couldn't see the stars as well as she had been able to out at the farm, but at the moment it wasn't the stars that captivated her attention. Lit from within and without, the crystalline and metallic architecture of the capital city gleamed brightly, illuminating the landscape beneath the dome for kilometers. Though waning, the Earth shone brightly overhead, adding its pale blue light to the scenery. "You know," Angwyn commented, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of this view."

"Hmm?" Cytheria glanced up from the magazine she was reading over on Angwyn's bed. They were both waiting for Minerva to arrive for the day's tutoring session. "Oh, the city _is_ beautiful, isn't it? I guess I kind of take it for granted after all these years."

Angwyn raised an eyebrow as she looked at her friend. And Cytheria **had** become a friend over the last couple of weeks since she had moved into the palace, a fact that Angwyn considered to be infinitely strange, given that the two of them had pretty much nothing in common. Cytheria wasn't just royalty, she was a **senshi**, while Angwyn was a commoner. Cytheria was a fashion maven, while Angwyn preferred to stick with a simple wardrobe. Cytheria was a huge extrovert and a sometimes embarrassing flirt, while Angwyn, who was friendly and certainly not shy, had always nevertheless preferred to keep to herself. And of course Angwyn was just a teenager, while Cytheria, despite looking to be in her mid-twenties, was – actually, Angwyn had no idea how old her new friend was.

"I, uh, I know this is really rude..."

"How old am I?" Cytheria guessed with a grin.

Angwyn scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Um, yeah."

Cytheria paused to think about it. "You know, I'm actually not sure. After a while you stop counting and just enjoy the birthday parties." She sat up. "Funny you should mention it though. Minerva said she was going to review history today, which reminds me of the Asteran Rebellion. That's when I became a senshi, and I was 23 at the time, so that makes me... ugh, I hate math."

Angwyn, on the other hand, had inherited her father's talent with numbers. And everybody knew the year of the rebellion. Her eyes went wide. "Whoa. I guess I always knew that the senshi had been around for a while, and in school we learned that it was Sailor Saturn who stopped the rebellion, but it never really occurred to me that you were there with her."

For just a second Cytheria's face fell at the mention of Sailor Saturn, but she quickly regained her composure. "So how old am I?"

"547."

"Hmm." Much to Angwyn's surprise, Cytheria laughed. "Ha! I've aged pretty well, I'd say," she said, tossing her long blonde hair. "I doubt I look a day over 200!"

Minerva chose that moment to step through the door, to be treated to the sight of two girls giggling madly. "Do I even want to know what you two are going on about?" she asked with a wry grin.

"Just discussing the best cure for wrinkles and gray hair known to date," Cytheria replied. Angwyn snickered again.

"Um, okay." Minerva had no idea why that was so funny, and decided that it didn't matter. She set a small stack of books down on Angwyn's desk then sat lightly on its edge. "So Angwyn, are you ready to get started? We'll be covering History today."

"Told you," Cytheria whispered.

Angwyn suppressed a smirk and shrugged at Minerva. "I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

As Angwyn sat down at the desk, Cytheria stood and headed for the door. "Well, this is where I say goodbye. I'll see you both at dinner tonight."

"What, you're not going to stay for the lesson?" Minerva called after her.

"Nah, I've lived through half of what you're going to talk about anyway," she answered. "Have fun!" And with that she was gone.

Minerva shook her head at her teammate and took her seat across from Angwyn at the desk. This would be her second day of tutoring, the day before being used mainly to gauge Angwyn's level of knowledge in the various academic subjects. It was close enough to the end of the school year that Angwyn would have to finish her studies with Minerva, and this suited the senshi just fine. It gave her the flexibility to customize Angwyn's curriculum, which in turn helped her to meet Queen Serenity's directive to prepare the girl in case her magic returned. Today's history lesson would lay the groundwork for that training.

"I reviewed your school curriculum, but why don't you summarize for me what you've learned so far this year in your History class," Minerva began.

Angwyn thought about it. "Well, we covered early human history. We learned about how King Pardius finally united the various tribes on Earth, and how it was his grandson King Markus that initiated the time of exploration and colonization that led to the birth of the Moon Kingdom. Queen Serenity – well, she wasn't a queen back then – Serenity was one of the colonists here on the Moon. She knew magic and became so powerful that she was able to make the magical dome and cause the ground to be able to grow plants.

"The Moon colony got so popular that it became sort of the lead colony of all the colonies, with Serenity as its leader. Eventually the colonies united into the Moon Kingdom and named Serenity as their queen."

Minerva nodded at Angwyn's accurate, if somewhat imprecise, summarization of the founding of the Moon Kingdom. "Can you name the colonies that were the charter members of the Moon Kingdom?"

"Well, all of the planets had outposts, but only the Moon, Mars, and Astera had permanent populations at the time."

"And outside of the Moon, which of the colonies was the largest?" Minerva asked.

"Astera."

"Why was that?"

Angwyn had to think about that one for a second. "It was the only one of the colonies with a really good atmosphere, I think. Mars' atmosphere was breathable, but the planet was smaller and before it was terraformed the air was too thin. Astera was more like Earth, so it was easier to live there. My teacher said that if it wasn't so far away from Earth, it probably would have been even bigger than the Moon colony."

"Good," Minerva acknowledged. "Since we're speaking of Astera, did you cover the rebellion?"

_She wants to talk about the rebellion too? _Angwyn thought. "No, I think that's at the beginning of next year's History book. We did learn a little bit about it back in middle school history though."

"Tell me what you learned."

"Well, not a whole lot. I do know it was 524 years ago and lasted almost a year. The colonists on Astera didn't want to be part of the Moon Kingdom anymore, I'm not sure exactly why. They rebelled, and when a Moon Kingdom ambassador was killed, we went to war. I know the senshi fought and won many battles, but the Rebellion didn't end until Sailor Saturn destroyed the entire planet."

Minerva sighed as she recalled the events of those dark days so long ago. "That's basically correct, though the 'official' version that they teach in schools is a bit sanitized. Let me tell you the whole story."

Angwyn sat up a little straighter. This sounded like it was going to be far more interesting than the boring lectures she was used to.

"For hundreds of years after the inception of the Moon Kingdom, all of the worlds of the kingdom lived harmoniously, sharing common culture and philosophy, and striving for the common benefit of the entire kingdom. Though it was a thriving colony, Astera was rather remote, and so when the first rumors of unrest and talk of independence reached the court here on the Moon, they were dismissed as just that: rumors. However, the rumors grew rather than fading away, and when Astera recalled their ambassadors from the Moon, we finally realized that they were serious and had turned their back on the rest of the solar system. When our ambassador was killed, it became painfully apparent just how serious they were.

"Serenity traveled to Astera herself to try to make sense of the situation, but she never set foot on the planet."

"Was she fired on?" Angwyn asked.

"No," Minerva answered. "On the contrary, she was welcomed with open arms, and with the governor's deepest apologies over the death of the ambassador. However, she sensed an evil presence clinging to the world itself. She immediately returned to the Moon to meditate on what she had felt."

Angwyn was leaning forward now. This was something they definitely hadn't taught in school, and she listened with rapt attention. "What was it?" she asked.

"It was malevolent being, a non-corporeal creature that had taken over the planet's star crystal as its own. It was..."

"Wait," Angwyn interrupted. "Queen Serenity said I had a star crystal. Planets have them too? What are they, exactly?"

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"Well, I know it has something to do with my Spark, but what does that have to do with planets?"

Minerva rubbed her temple as she quickly reformulated her lesson plan. "I'm sorry, I assumed that since you knew of star seeds – Sparks, as you call them – that you knew that they were the kernel of not only all intelligent life, but also of all gravigenetic objects in the galaxy."

Angwyn blinked. "Uh..."

"In other words," Minerva explained, "star seeds are points of interaction between this physical dimension and those above it. Every sentient being has one: it's what marks the difference between a Mau and a regular house cat, for example. In space, under the right conditions, they also act as the gravitational seed around which star or planetary formation begins. Thus the name 'star seed.'"

"I see," Angwyn said, unconvincingly. "So when you say dimensions, you mean like in _Invaders from the Fifth Dimension_?"

"NO," Minerva said. "That show is pure fiction, as are parallel realities and pocket universes. There's never been any scientific evidence to indicate that they exist. No, I'm referring to the physical dimensions of our own universe. As you know, we exist in three dimensions: length, width, and height. Scientists who have studied star seeds have confirmed the existence of at least two additional spatial dimensions, and speculate that there may be several more."

"Wow," was all that Angwyn could say.

Minerva continued, "Anyways, I was going to point out that certain people are able to use their star seeds to access and manifest the energy and physics of those higher dimensions within our own plane of existence. We call this magic. Under extreme stress, such as in the center of a planet's core or when an extraordinary amount of power is pulled through it, the star seed will crystallize. This magnifies the crystal's ability to channel power exponentially."

Angwyn creased her forehead as she tried to keep up with Minerva's explanation. "So this creature took over Astera's star crystal and that made it really powerful?"

Minerva nodded. "Exactly. It used its power to manipulate the minds of the Asterans to rebel against the queen. It needed an army. See, it was only using Astera and its citizens to achieve its true goal: it was after the most powerful crystal in the solar system."

"Queen Serenity's Silver Crystal," Angwyn breathed.

"Yes. When the entity's attempt to lure Serenity to Astera failed, it launched a full invasion of the Moon. The royal navy was able to repel the first attack, but could make no further progress against the Asteran forces. Concerned that the entity might try to control the other planets' crystals, and in dire need of an advantage to end the conflict quickly, Serenity decided to use the entity's own tactics against it. She chose eight women, trusted members of the royal houses whom she felt could bear the responsibility, and bound their star seeds to the crystals of the eight remaining planets."

Angwyn watched Minerva in awe as the woman rose from her chair and raised her arm, a small wand appearing in her hand. "MERCURY PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!" she cried, and was bathed in light as she rose into the air and spun around. When her feet touched the ground a moment later, Sailor Mercury stood before Angwyn, fists on her hips. She gestured to her blue-skirted uniform. "This is what we became: empowered by the planets themselves, we were the Queen's elite warriors, her Sailor Senshi. Together with the royal navy, we were able to steadily push back the Asteran forces. Battles were fought and won, Asteran insurrectionists on the other colonies were stopped, and within a few months we had blockaded Astera itself. But that's where our successes stopped. Any regular forces we sent down to the planet were subjugated by the entity, and the shear number of people the entity controlled made attacks by the few senshi ineffective. And ultimately nothing we did mattered anyway, since the entity had bound itself to the planet's star crystal and there was no way to remove it."

Mercury looked at her gloves and started pacing slightly. "Sailor Saturn was the first of us to point out that the only way to remove the entity from our solar system was to destroy the planet itself. I know the idea had occurred to at least a few of us, but Saturn was the first to vocalize it. Of course Serenity was totally against the plan, objecting to the loss of life, but the other Outers backed up Saturn, pointing out that the populace of Astera was brain-dead anyway, and beyond help by that point." She paused and sighed. "One thing we didn't learn until later was that Saturn knew she possessed the power to do the deed, and had in fact been restraining the urge to let it out on more than one occasion."

Mercury abruptly stopped pacing and sat down. "Eventually the queen admitted that Saturn's plan was the only way to truly achieve victory. I was on the bridge of the battle cruiser that dropped Saturn onto the planet, along with all the other senshi and even Serenity herself. I think we were all hoping for a miracle: that Saturn could call out her attack and then jump back into the dropship and get off the surface before the planet exploded." She hung her head. "That wasn't meant to be. The entity launched an all-out attack on Saturn the moment she landed, but they never stood a chance. She simply spoke her final attack and lowered her Silence Glaive.

"I'll never forget what happened next, and I pray that I never have to see it again. A massive wave of Holy magic washed across the entire world. I can't really describe it; it was like an unbearably brilliant blackness that swept the surface of the planet clean. But it didn't stop there: when the magic came back together on the opposite side of the planet, it plunged straight down into the core. Astera had always been a little unstable tectonically, and the strain of Saturn's attack was too much. The world shattered into millions of pieces, and the war was finally over."

With a brief flare of light and a flurry of ribbons, Mercury reverted back into Minerva. She looked haunted by the retelling of her story, and the weight of over 500 years seemed to drag down her shoulders. "Every single one of us was overwhelmed by the carnage we had just witnessed and the loss of our friend, but none took it harder than Queen Serenity. You see, that first Sailor Saturn was her daughter."

Angwyn's chin, which had been resting in the palm of her hand, slipped and nearly hit the desk. "WHAT? She had a daughter before Princess Pandia?"

Minerva shook her head. "She wasn't her birth daughter. The girl's family were close friends of the queen, descendants of some of the original settlers, with whom Serenity had grown up. Serenity adopted her after her parents were both killed in an accident."

Angwyn's eyes fell to the the table as all her energy seemed to drain away. Minerva glanced at her in concern as the teenager mumbled something under her breath. Minerva had to play it back in her head a couple of times before she figured out what Angwyn had said. "Sounds familiar." Minerva winced as she mentally kicked herself. _Way to reopen that wound, genius._

Minerva hastily continued, "After Astera, Serenity decided that Saturn's power was too dangerous. She placed a barrier on Saturn's magic, preventing her from awakening the next time she was reincarnated. To this day, nobody, not even the current Sailor Saturn herself, knows who she is."

Angwyn glanced up at her tutor, pondering. "What if she's needed again? I mean, you couldn't have won the Asteran Rebellion without her. What if another enemy comes that can only be defeated by Saturn?"

"I certainly hope it never comes to that," Minerva shuddered. "Queen Serenity only told us that if Saturn was needed, we would know what to do."

"That's kind of cryptic," Angwyn said.

Minerva shrugged. "She can be like that."

"So why are you telling me all this?" Angwyn asked. "Besides being the most depressing History lesson I've ever had, it doesn't really have anything to do with this year's History book."

"The point, Angwyn, is this," Minerva answered. "At some point it is likely that your magical ability will return. However, since your star seed has crystallized, you may find yourself having to control even more power than before. Sailor Saturn possessed more raw power than all of the rest of the Senshi put together, but she never allowed it to consume her until the very end, when she purposefully sacrificed herself for the love of her queen and her kingdom. You're not Sailor Saturn and you'll never have to contain the enormous energies of life and death, but when the time comes, will you be strong enough to control the gift that you **have** been given, and not allow it to control you?"

Angwyn sat silently for a moment. Hope and fear tore at each other in her heart: hope for the return of her magic, her mother's legacy; and fear that it could overwhelm her. Finally she answered in a small voice, "I'd like to think so."

Minerva smiled. "Well, you won't be alone. I'll be coaching you in the mechanics of how magic works, and Sailor Jupiter has agreed to be your 'Physical Education' instructor."

Angwyn frowned. "PE? Why her?"

"Jupiter is our expert in hand-to-hand combat. Specifically, she's a martial arts master, and nothing will help you to learn control over your own body and spirit better then martial arts. Who knows, perhaps any increased self-awareness you gain may be the key to help you rediscover your magic."

Angwyn shrugged. "Maybe. You got any other surprises for me?"

Minerva was a bit taken aback by Angwyn's suddenly cool demeanor, but decided to let it slide. "No, that's it for this afternoon. Why don't you freshen up, and I'll see you at dinner. Don't forget, the queen's expecting us in the dining hall at 5 o'clock sharp."

Angwyn quietly groaned. She hadn't forgotten. Everyone who lived in the palace dined with the court once a week, and tonight was her turn, along with the Inner Senshi and dozens of other lords, ladies, and assorted nobles. She just wished the queen would forget for one week. This was only her third time at the royal dinner, and already she found them dreadfully boring.

Minerva had collected her things and was about to open the door to leave when Angwyn suddenly remembered a question that had popped into her head earlier in the lesson. "Hey, wait!" she called out.

Minerva glanced back with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

"During your story you kept referring to the enemy creature as 'the entity.' Did it have a name?"

Minerva's other eyebrow went up. "Actually, yes it did, but it hasn't been spoken in hundreds of years."

Angwyn's curiosity was piqued. "Why's that?"

Minerva turned around and leaned against the door. A small smile graced her lips. "It's silly, really. People believed that if they spoke the creature's name, it would return in vengeance and destroy the Moon Kingdom." She shrugged. "It was a bunch of superstitious nonsense, but people will believe what they want, I suppose."

"So you wouldn't mind telling me?"

Minerva paused, then laughed. "You know, I've been so set in the habit of not speaking its name – out of respect to others, of course – that part of me still rebels against saying it out loud." She laughed again and reached back for the door.

"Its name was Metalia."

* * *

Beryl leaned against one of the walls of her little "youma factory" and observed with satisfaction as two of her nursery youma concentrated on a dense ball of life energy hovering between their hands. With a final contraction, the yellow glowing orb flashed with light, leaving a small yellow crystal in its place. The smaller of the two youma deftly caught it as it fell between the two of them.

Her satisfaction grew as the larger youma placed her hands over the crystal and began muttering an incantation, focusing the magic that would imprint upon the crystal exactly what this new youma would become. Finally, after a couple of minutes she grew silent and withdrew her hands. The smaller youma turned and presented the crystal to Beryl, who took it and examined it for a moment before handing it back with an approving nod.

Next to the three of them sat a large ball of sticky mud, nearly clay-like in its consistency. The smaller youma carefully set the crystal directly on the center of the ball, then stood back. For a moment nothing happened, then abruptly the crystal sank into the gray surface. For a second the sphere glowed the same yellow color as the crystal, and with a hiss and a crackle the surface of the new youma egg hardened into a stone shell.

"Good," Beryl praised the two youma. "Take this egg to the new hatchery chamber, then you may go rest and feed. The patrol will not be back with more energy for a couple of hours yet."

"Thank you, Lady Beryl," the youma said. Bowing, they turned and wheeled the egg down the passageway to the hatcheries. Beryl watched them go, pleased with the progress she had made in only a few weeks. Now that her nursery youma were able to create new eggs without her assistance, she would be free to focus on the next phase of her plan. The new infiltrator youma, of which the just-created egg would be the first, would fill an important role in that plan.

Born of the earth, the initial worker youma that Beryl had created had proven to be remarkably efficient burrowers, carving out this series of tunnels and chambers under an unassuming farm just on the outskirts of her village. The owners of the farm had been old and reclusive, with no known family, so Beryl knew they wouldn't be missed. The couple had provided the energy necessary for one of her first harvester youma.

Few people in the village questioned or even noticed the disappearance of that "invisible" segment of their society, the vagabonds and the homeless. Beryl had known, however, that if she wanted to keep her little army-building operation a secret, she would need to invent new means of collecting the energy that she needed. The harvesters were her answer. Disguised as humans, they would mingle with the residents of the village, leaching energy off of anyone nearby. It wasn't nearly as efficient as just sacrificing a human and extracting the raw energy from their blood, but it was infinitely more subtle, and ultimately just as effective. In fact, with over a hundred youma now under her command, Beryl was already starting to wonder how much longer she could hide her operation. Metalia's little mind control trick helped fend off the few people who noticed unusual activity at the old farm, but Beryl's youma army was reaching the limit that could be sustained by the village's population. Already, most of the energy harvested went to feed her existing youma, and each new youma she created decreased the supply that much more. And she couldn't harvest much more from the village without people starting to notice.

Beryl mood turned and she frowned as she considered her options. There really was only one. For the time being she would have to relocate her army to the capital. This had the dual advantage of being near her new office in the palace as she served there as her district's representative, and of being the location of the largest source of human life energy on the planet. Unfortunately, it also put her magically-created youma uncomfortably close to the few magically-sensitive people on Earth. She knew that it was a necessary risk for the near future, but given the size of the army that she intended to create, it would only be a matter of time before they were discovered. What she really needed was some place where thousands of youma could live and hide completely hidden from discovery, yet able to emerge in any location for harvesting and eventually attack. _Sort of like that ridiculous program from the Moon_, she thought. _'Invaders from Another Dimension' or something. Is that even possible?_ Beryl mentally shrugged. She wasn't thrilled with the idea, but she figured she would have to ask Metalia about opening a portal to a parallel world. Unbidden, a familiar chill ran down her spine. She decided the question could wait.

* * *

The next day, Beryl stood in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Adalandis, the capital city of Earth, accompanied by a disguised harvester youma that she had named Marquet for this trip. She would have preferred to bring her new infiltrator, which traded the harvesters' ability to store life energy for a much lower, nearly undetectable magic signature, but the youma wouldn't hatch until tomorrow.

Beryl beamed at her dusty surroundings with satisfaction. "It's perfect!" she declared.

Marquet didn't see how this warehouse was any different from the previous six that they had visited, but she didn't question Beryl's judgment. She had learned quickly in her admittedly short life that while Beryl generally treated her youma well, you didn't want to get on her bad side. Two of the original worker youma had discovered that the hard way when Beryl had announced her intention to switch energy collection methods from sacrifices to the less efficient harvesting. When the youma had voiced their disagreement with the plan, they received a dramatic demonstration both of Beryl's temper, and of her magical aptitude. There was very little dust left when she was finished with them.

"Yes, this will do nicely," Beryl said, bringing Marquet's attention back to the present. She had crouched down by a hole in the floor, and was rubbing some dirt between her fingers. "This soil is ideal for creating youma, and that stream outside will provide us plenty of water. Plus, those trees on the other side of the stream will provide the perfect cover so we can come and go as we please." She rubbed her hands on her trousers, and her grin became almost manic. "As soon as this court session is over, we'll bring the workers and they can start excavating!"

Marquet glanced out one of the high windows of the warehouse at the sinking sun. Choosing her words carefully, she said, "It is... fortunate that you found such an ideal location for our new home, My Lady. Especially since there are only a couple of hours remaining before the opening reception of this court session."

Beryl blinked, and followed Marquet's gaze out the window. "Ah, indeed. It wouldn't do to be late to my first official function now, would it?" She glanced down at her outfit, soiled from hours of tromping through old warehouses. "And I certainly can't allow my dear Endymion to see me like this!" Her eyes lost focus for a moment as she daydreamed of the handsome prince.

With a shake of her head, Beryl came back to reality. Turning on her heel, the new representative strode out of the warehouse and began making her way back to the center of the city, where the palace and governmental complex stood. Marquet had to hurry to keep up.

Two hours later, as the sun slipped below the horizon, Beryl strode confidently into the atrium of the palace's grand ballroom, where she was met by a young soldier in formal dress, filling the role of doorman. She handed him her invitation, and after scanning it briefly, he returned the card. "Welcome, Lady Beryl," he said. "May I take your coat?"

"Yes, thank you," Beryl replied, shedding her outer garment. She was pleased by the rather obvious double-take the young man made when her gown was revealed. "Revealing" was a good word for it. Made of a lightweight silky material, its plunging neckline and form-fitting cut left little of Beryl's figure to the imagination. In addition, the deep black fabric seemed to absorb light, causing her auburn hair to appear practically aflame in comparison. As she moved, points of light would reflect from within the blackness of the fabric, giving the impression of stars in space, as if this one dress – and the woman wearing it – contained all the secrets of the universe.

Grinning at the doorman's disconcertion, Beryl stepped into the ballroom. As cute as the young soldier was, her prey was much higher up the food chain. It was time to introduce herself to the court.

* * *

Angwyn was somewhere dark and cold. "Hello?" she called out, but her voice sounded empty somehow, as if the darkness had swallowed the sound as soon as it had left her lips. She tried to walk, but her legs didn't seem to want to move. "Is anybody there?" she called again.

Surprisingly, someone answered. "You're not royalty. You can't use magic. What makes you think you're worthy of living in the palace?" Angwyn spun around to see Queen Serenity, her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

"But you said..."

"It doesn't matter," Mercury interrupted. "She wouldn't be able to control her magic anyway."

"Hmph," said Jupiter, looking out the window. "She's nobody. Now my old boyfriend, HE was a mage second to none!"

Venus looked at Angwyn sadly. "I thought you were my friend? You can't even light a little candle."

Tears streamed down Angwyn's cheeks. "But I can! I know I can, you just have to give me more time!"

"It's too late anyway," said a familiar voice, and she turned back toward the queen to see her mother standing there. "You weren't strong enough or fast enough to save us." Her father stood beside Cara, his skin horribly burned, and a scowl of disapproval on his face.

A light shone out of the darkness behind her, and as she turned to see what it was, Cytheria answered her mother, "It's no wonder. How can she be expected to save anyone without pants?"

Angwyn gasped as she realized she could feel a draft on her legs. Looking down, she gasped again to see the short pleated skirt of a senshi uniform, colored a bright crimson to go with her hair. She looked up at the source of the light. Hovering before her was a walnut-sized bipyramidal crystal, brilliant and clear save for streaks of red and yellow that never seemed to stay in one place. Instinctively knowing that it was her star crystal, she reached out for it, but was forced to draw back and shield her eyes as it flared with light. Its brilliance quickly became overwhelming, growing brighter and brighter until it was as if the Sun itself was directly before her.

Suddenly, an idea struck Angwyn and she spun around to face her naysayers. Silhouetted by the Sun, she raised her hands, and flames leapt from her fingertips. "Ha!" she cried in triumph. "My magic is back! I **do** have the power!"

"But you still can't control it," Minerva said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Angwyn retorted. "Of course I –" She stopped as she realized that the flames had started to burn her gloves. Frantically, she attempted to brush the fire out, but that just knocked sparks onto her skirt. Within seconds her entire uniform was ablaze. As her hair erupted into flames she screamed out in terror–

And sat bolt upright in bed, her heart pounding. With a shuddering breath she pulled her legs up, resting her chin on her knees. _Not again_, she thought, as she slowly rocked back and forth. _Stupid dream_.

Behind her, unnoticed, her bracers hung from the bed post, glowing faintly.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Angwyn sat at her favorite spot in the overlook park, gazing absently at the city as the rising sun shone its amber rays through the crystal spires. It was the first time she'd been there since her birthday, and she was finding that it wasn't as comforting as she had hoped. Cytheria sat next to her, unrecognizable to anyone around them, as she had used a disguise pen to avoid the paparazzi. While her presence was required – Queen Serenity had insisted that Angwyn have an escort any time she was outside of the palace grounds – Cytheria accompanied Angwyn primarily as a friend.

"So I take it this wasn't the first time you've had this nightmare?" she asked.

Angwyn shook her head. "This is the third night in a row, ever since Minerva gave me that little history lesson." She rubbed her eyes. "I'm starting to get afraid to go to bed."

"To be honest," Cytheria said, "it doesn't sound that terrible. Granted, it's been a while since I had a nightmare, but I think some of mine have been worse."

"Try burning alive for three nights in a row, then tell me that," Angwyn retorted.

Cytheria was silent for a moment before asking, "So are you really that concerned about being able to control your magic when it returns?"

Angwyn considered the question for a moment before answering. "I don't know. I mean, I figured it would come back gradually and I'd have a chance to get used to it, but I don't know that for sure." She sighed. "And I was so excited when she told me that she thought I'd get my magic back." She sat in silence for a short while before turning to Cytheria. "How do you do it?"

"Do what, control my magic?"

Angwyn nodded. "You have an entire planet powering your senshi abilities. Doesn't it ever get hard to contain it all?"

Cytheria glanced around to make sure no one could overhear before answering Angwyn's question. "Not really. To be honest, I've not really thought about it. The senshi powers have just come naturally as I've needed them. If anything, they're a bit stingy. I don't know how many times more power would have been useful."

"But Sailor Saturn demonstrated that a planet's power can fuel some pretty awesome attacks," Angwyn pointed out.

"True. But now that you mention it, Saturn was the only one of us who ever had to limit her power. Perhaps the magic that Queen Serenity used to create the Senshi acts as a dam of sorts, and limits the amount of power we can use."

"Maybe. Or maybe not." Angwyn was starting to become more animated now, as she applied some of her father's engineering knowledge to the question at hand. "Minerva said that magic came from higher dimensions, or something like that." Cytheria shrugged, so Angwyn plowed on. "Maybe the planet doesn't provide the power, but acts more like a capacitor. It buffers the energy and only allows it out at a fixed rate. So the best way to control the flow of energy would be to not even try, but to let the planet do it for you..." She trailed off, staring at the rising Sun. "I wonder if she'd go for it," she said to herself, biting her lip.

Cytheria looked sharply at her young charge. Five hundred years of observing people and their behavior led her right down Angwyn's train of thought. "You can't be serious," she said. "All of the planets are taken!"

Angwyn continued to look into the sunrise. "Minerva said that everything that's held together by gravity has a star crystal at its core. So it wouldn't have to be a planet..."

"Queen Serenity is not going to make you a senshi," Cytheria declared, but Angwyn wasn't listening.

"Sailor Sun," the redhead whispered, as if trying the name on for size.

"NO," Cytheria huffed, trying to ignore the little voice in the back of her head that was cheering for a new teammate. Lowering her voice, she continued, "Look, even if the queen did agree to make you a senshi, which she won't, you can't be the senshi of a star!"

Angwyn frowned. "Why not? It has a star crystal, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but..."

"So what's the problem?"

Cytheria blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Look," she said. With a flick of her wrist, a small wand appeared in her hand. Angwyn recognized it.

"Hey, Mercury had one of those."

Cytheria nodded. "They're all a little different, but each of us has one of these transformation wands. You see this crystal?" She pointed to the orange gem set into the end of the wand. "It's created from a stone from Venus itself. It provides a link directly to the planet. A new senshi needs that link to draw the power necessary for their transformation."

"But not an **old** senshi, like you?" Angwyn smirked.

"Watch it," Cytheria warned, but there was a twinkle in her eye. It was good to see Angwyn smile again; the girl did it so infrequently. "Yeah, after a while the link between our star crystals and our planets' crystals became strong enough that the wands became unnecessary. But you would need one, and you can't exactly land on the Sun and bring a piece of it home."

"There must be a way," Angwyn said, looking back at the sunrise. "If anyone would know, it would be Queen Serenity." She stood to her feet, and Cytheria joined her, returning the wand to subspace with another flick of her wrist. As they started back down the hill, Angwyn continued, "I'm going to ask her."

Cytheria sighed in resignation. "Good luck with that."

* * *

Author's Notes:

This chapter's obscure reference is courtesy of _Star Trek Voyager_.

Minerva seems awfully sure of herself in regards to alternate realities and pocket universes. I have a feeling that's going to come back to bite her (and the rest of the Moon Kingdom) in the future. Speaking of Minerva, I should point out that while she didn't need the wand, transformation phrase, or light show, she was using them to demonstrate her original Sailor Mercury form to Angwyn. As Venus demonstrated at the end of Chapter 1, centuries of experience has streamlined their transformations considerably.

I know this chapter is rather exposition-heavy, but it's necessary to lay the groundwork for what will come. At this point, Angwyn still has a lot to learn. Things will pick up a little in the next chapter.

Also, welcome to all of you that have added this story to your favorites and watch lists. Knowing so many people are waiting for the next chapter inspires me to get these things finished. I'm still pretty slow, though. :)


	5. Relationships

SILVER SUN

A _Sailor Ranko_ fanfic  
by Jason Heinrich

Based on the _Sailor Ranko_ story and webcomic by Duncan Zillman and Rebecca Heineman.

* * *

CHAPTER 4: RELATIONSHIPS

The following Monday saw Angwyn and Cytheria walking down a tree-lined path on the palace grounds, headed for Angwyn's first martial arts class. Their destination, the palace's athletic complex, lie on the northeast corner of the royal property against the shore of the Sea of Serenity. The lunar morning Sun glistened off of the water and warmed Angwyn's face. She closed her eyes for a moment and soaked it in, relaxing after what had been a trying day.

That lasted for all of about three seconds, when her shoe caught an uneven section of the sidewalk and she stumbled, narrowly avoiding an embarrassing faceplant.

"Hey, watch where you're going," Cytheria chuckled.

Angwyn's cheeks flushed. "Sorry. My brain is toast after today's lessons. I had a feeling Minerva was going easy on me last week, but I had no idea she could be this brutal."

"Yeah, she wanted to ease you into your studies, but at the same time she didn't want to eat into too much of your break. From what she told me, your school year ends in two weeks, and she expects that at this pace you'll need only one extra week to finish everything."

Angwyn nodded. "That's what she told me, too. Though I think she could have 'eased' into it a bit more."

Cytheria chuckled, and they continued walking in companionable silence. After a few moments Cytheria asked, "So are you ready for your meeting with the queen tomorrow?"

"I guess," Angwyn sighed.

Cytheria was surprised. "Huh? Last week you were all gung-ho about it. What's wrong?"

Angwyn smiled weakly. "Just a little nervous, I guess."

"Uh-huh," Cytheria said, giving Angwyn a questioning glance. The girl had been particularly quiet their entire walk. Something was clearly bothering her, and she just as clearly didn't want to talk about it. Cytheria decided to let the matter drop for the time being.

As they neared the entrance to the athletic complex, Angwyn began to trail her companion, and when Cytheria climbed the few steps onto the portico, she stopped altogether.

Cytheria realized belatedly that she was now alone, and looked down at the red-headed teen at the bottom of the steps. "Ang, is something wrong?"

Angwyn looked at her shoes for a moment before quietly replying, "I don't want to do this."

Cytheria hopped back down the steps to stand next to her friend. "What? Why not?"

"I... it's just... you wouldn't understand," Angwyn said.

"Well, I certainly won't if you don't tell me," Cytheria replied. "So come on. Maybe I can help."

Angwyn sat down on the step, and Cytheria followed her. "I doubt it." When she didn't continue, Cytheria put an arm around her shoulder, giving her a little squeeze of encouragement. Angwyn sighed. "Do you remember the night my parents died?"

Of course Cytheria remembered. She gave Angwyn another squeeze.

"Well... Jupiter just didn't seem to care. She was only interested in that guy that looked like her old boyfriend. I'm not sure I want to train under somebody that couldn't care less about me."

Cytheria was shocked. "Angwyn, Juno is one of the warmest, most caring people I know! I know for a fact that she's been looking forward to working with you and getting to know you better." Angwyn still looked doubtful, so Cytheria scooted back to look her in the eye. "Look, if Juno has a fault, it's that she can be impulsive. Sometimes she'll just say the first thing that pops into her head. It got her into trouble a lot when we were young –" she paused to smile at an old memory "– but you couldn't ask for a better or more loyal friend. Please give her a chance."

"Are you sure she wants to get to know me?" Angwyn questioned.

"Absolutely."

Angwyn stood up slowly. "Well, okay. If you say so."

Together they turned back up the steps and entered the atrium. "Wait here," Cytheria instructed Angwyn, before continuing on past the greeter's desk through a set of double doors that led to the practice facilities. Angwyn busied herself with admiring the atrium. Like everything else in the royal compound, money had obviously been no object in the facility's construction, though its design was less ornate than many of the palace structures, reflecting instead an elegant simplicity more akin to Angwyn's own quarters. To the left of the main entrance, across from the greeter's desk, two large polished wood pillars were inset into the wall, framing the arched entrance to the arena, where competitions were held. She walked over and peeked inside. It was empty now, though she could see that it was set up for Rocket-Ball. She made a mental note to get the arena's schedule of events: Rocket-Ball was her favorite sport.

"Angwyn?" a voice called out behind her. She turned to see a familiar woman with short brown hair.

"Sandrine!" Angwyn smiled. The servant was one of Angwyn's few good friends in the palace, and she always looked forward to the days that Sandrine was on duty.

"I thought I recognized that red hair," Sandrine said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm supposed to start martial arts lessons with Juno today," Angwyn replied, her smile faltering slightly.

"Martial arts? That's why I'm here!" Sandrine's eyes went a little wide. "Wait, did you say Juno's your instructor? She has a waiting list that stretches to Earth and back! How did you... oh, never mind. You're friends with the senshi." She sounded a little jealous.

Angwyn looked embarrassed. "You know I didn't ask for any of this."

Now it was Sandrine's turn to look abashed. "Sorry! I didn't mean to imply anything. You're just really lucky, you know?"

Angwyn shrugged. "That depends on your point of view. So is Juno really that good?"

"Well, she _is_ a very good martial artist, one of the best. Not _the_ best though; I think my instructor could probably keep up with her as long as she's not powered up. People just want to be taught by a senshi, I think."

Angwyn was going to reply, but Sandrine suddenly broke out into a huge grin and started bouncing on her toes. "Oh! I've got big news! I was going to tell you tomorrow when I was working, but since you're here..."

"What is it?" Angwyn asked anxiously. Sandrine's excitement was infectious.

"I'm pregnant!" Sandrine squealed. "Alexander and I just found out for sure this morning!"

Angwyn clapped her hands. "Wow, congratulations! Do you know what you're having?"

Sandrine nodded. "The Lifewalker at the clinic was able to sense the baby's ki, and she said it's definitely a girl. A strong one too, from what she could tell."

"Wow," Angwyn repeated. "I'm so happy for you! So are you gonna be able to keep doing martial arts?"

"That's actually why I'm here," Sandrine replied. "My instructor says he's going to stop the high-impact sparring, but that otherwise I can keep up with everything else, at least until my stomach gets bigger." She rubbed a hand over her currently-flat belly lovingly.

Just then Cytheria returned followed by Juno, who was sporting a loose and comfortable pale green gi along with her trademark ponytail. Sandrine saw them and bowed. "Princesses," she said as she excused herself. "I'll see you tomorrow, Angwyn."

"Bye," Angwyn called back before turning back to the senshi. Much to her shock, she saw that Juno had bowed low herself. "What...?" she asked, looking around to see if the queen had come in behind her.

"Angwyn Weaver," Juno began formally, "I wish to apologize for my comments on the day that we met. I intended no disrespect toward you or your parents, nor did I intend to slight the incredible trial which you were facing at the time. I humbly ask for your forgiveness for my thoughtlessness." She looked up with a hopeful smile.

Any remaining bitterness in Angwyn's heart melted in the face of that warm and genuine smile. She suddenly became acutely aware of several passers-by, including the greeter at the desk, gawking at the sight of the Princess of Jupiter bowing to a commoner. Her face growing hot with embarrassment, she frantically gestured for Juno to stand up.

"Yeah, I forgive you! Can we just go in now?"

* * *

Endymion, crown prince of the planet Earth, sat gazing at the four men who surrounded him. One, a blond with a boyish face that made him appear younger than his age, turned and gestured to one of his companions, who handed him a large gilded bowl. Lifting a sizable golden ring from the bowl, he held it up toward the prince.

"Answer me one thing, Endymion," he said. The man in question raised an eyebrow.

"How on Earth do you get these potato rings cut so perfectly? Every time I try they always come out lopsided and fall apart in the fryer."

Endymion chuckled. "You really want to know my secret, Jadeite?" When his friend nodded, he answered, "I don't."

Jadeite blinked. "You don't what?"

"I don't cut them. There's an old lady on Phalanx Street who makes them for me. She breads them and everything: all I have to do is fry them."

"You mean the Phalanx Street right outside the East gate of the Military Academy?" Nephrite asked. Endymion nodded at the brown-haired man to his right, and Nephrite huffed. "I wish you would have told us back when we were students. I loved these things, and you were the only person I knew who made them. If you had told me your source, I wouldn't have bugged you for them so much." The other three friends nodded their agreement.

"Well, how else was I going to get you guys away from your studies?" Endymion pointed out. "I know you just hung around for the snacks."

Zoicite, who was sitting next to Kunzite on Endymion's left, snorted, and his silver-haired companion rolled his eyes. The two had been nearly inseparable at the academy, and it was generally assumed that if it hadn't been for Kunzite's conservative influence, Zoicite would have been kicked out for excessive partying. Too much studying had hardly been an issue for him.

Kunzite's influence had paid off though, and now Zoicite was considered to be one of the most promising young officers in His Majesty's service, as were all of the four friends gathered in Endymion's apartment this evening. Kunzite himself had just returned from a six-month tour on the Western continent, which was the reason for this get-together. It was the first time all five of them had had an opportunity to just relax and socialize in almost a year.

Nephrite turned to the silver-haired officer now, bringing the conversation back to the reason for their meeting. "So Kunz, you still haven't told us all the juicy details of your deployment. Is the Baldrin province as exotic as I've heard? Did you meet any hot girls?" He glanced at Zoicite. "Or guys?"

Zoicite glared at his sometimes-friend, sometimes-rival, but Kunzite brushed the insinuation off, as unflappable as always. "There's not much to tell, really. I spent most of my time at the royal compounds. The Baldrins didn't cause any trouble. It was rather boring, actually."

Endymion shook his head. "I can't believe that after more than a thousand years of unity, that one province still makes noise about independence."

Kunzite shrugged. "Most of the people there don't seem to have a problem with the crown, actually. There's just a small group that likes to stir up trouble now and then." He looked at Endymion pointedly. "Usually when a new king takes the throne."

"Lovely," the prince groaned.

A small smile cracked Kunzite's normally stoic visage as looked around at his companions. "But enough about me. I hear you had a little excitement last week." At their blank looks he continued, "Something about a new representative?"

Four light bulbs went on simultaneously. Endymion rolled his eyes, while Nephrite grinned. "Beryl," he replied, "from the Anden district just north of here. She turned a few heads at this term's opening reception."

"To say the least," Zoicite snorted. "You should have seen representative Androcite fawning over her. It was embarrassing."

"Attractive then, I take it?" Kunzite asked.

"Try gorgeous," Jadeite responded, "and dressed to kill."

Endymion shook his head. "She bordered on indecent. It was totally inappropriate for an official function like that."

"Stick in the mud," Zoicite teased. "Admit it, you enjoyed the view."

Jadeite spoke up before Endymion could reply. "Oh, no; our prince only has eyes for another."

Three sets of eyes locked on Endymion, as the prince visibly tensed. "Wait, what?" asked Zoicite. "Did I miss something?"

"Yes, do tell," added Nephrite.

"Well, from what I hear, not just any woman will do," Jadeite explained. "He's only interested in royalty."

Nephrite looked confused. "But there haven't been any other royal families for over 300 years."

Understanding dawned on Zoicite's face. "Not on this planet, anyways..."

"Now look–" began Endymion, but Kunzite cut him off.

"Oh, ho ho! Does our prince have a fondness for silver?"

"It's not like that!" the prince objected in exasperation. "Yes, I know Pandia personally, but we're just acquaintances; peers, nothing more! We're both heirs to our respective crowns. It makes for engaging conversation, but that's all."

"Right," grinned Jadeite.

Zoicite, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. "You know, there's an important difference between the two of you. That is, you'll actually be king someday. As far as we know Serenity is nearly immortal, so Pandia will be stuck as a princess forever. I bet she's interested in you just so she can have a chance to be a queen."

Endymion's jaw clenched, visibly struggling to control a surge of anger. Kunzite's smile also faded into a frown. "You may want keep that opinion to yourself," he advised his younger companion. "There are enough people that think the Moon Queen wants to annex the Earth. Sentiments like that could start a riot."

Zoicite glanced between the two of them, realizing he'd crossed a line, but he wasn't ready to concede the point just yet. "They may not be wrong, you know," he said quietly.

Jadeite decided to run interference before the tension in the room escalated any further. "All teasing aside, I understand you actually visited the Moon a couple of months ago. Some sort of diplomatic tour? How did that go?"

Endymion took a deep breath to restore his composure. "Yes, I spent two weeks with a handful of representatives and a number of leading scientists touring some of the Moon Kingdom's colonies and research outposts. We visited the colony on Ganymede, Mars, and a small science station in orbit of Venus. After that we spent a week on the Moon itself."

"Learn anything interesting?"

Endymion shrugged. "The scientists got more out of it than we political types. But I was impressed with the Martian terraforming methods. And there was a scientist on the Moon – Weaver, I think his name was – who did some pretty amazing things combining traditional technology with magic."

"So... you did meet Queen Serenity and Princess Pandia while you were on the Moon, right?" Nephrite probed.

"Yes."

"Come on, man," Nephrite said, rolling his eyes. "Elaborate!"

"What do you want to know?" Endymion sighed.

"What's Serenity really like? Is the Princess anything like her mother? Are men really treated like slaves up there?"

Endymion blinked. "What?"

"Where did you hear that one?" Kunzite added.

"Some of the men in my division were speculating," Nephrite answered. "You know, with all of the rulers – the queen and the planetary princesses – being women."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time," Kunzite stated.

"Utter nonsense," Endymion agreed. "Everyone in the Moon Kingdom has equal rights, the same as here. In fact, even the lower-class Moon citizens are generally better off than their counterparts here on Earth."

"It helps when you have a near monopoly on the Solar System's resources and interstellar trade," Jadeite mumbled.

Endymion shrugged. He couldn't really disagree with Jadeite's assessment.

"Okay, okay," Nephrite conceded, "but you still haven't answered my original question. What is the Moon Queen really like?"

"Well, as a future king myself, I personally found her to be rather inspiring. It's obvious that she loves her people. Her kindness, her wisdom, her sense of justice: there's a lot that I could emulate."

"What about the princess?" Jadeite asked. "Was she as inspiring to you as her mother?"

"Sure she was!" Nephrite interjected. "Just look at those new fancy clothes. Obviously meant to impress someone, and I don't remember him wearing them before the trip."

"Actually, I've had these..." Endymion began, but Zoicite was next.

"Is that new cologne you're wearing?"

"And I hear the palace gardeners have planted several dozen new rosebushes," Kunzite added. "I wonder where those roses will end up?"

Endymion threw his hands in the air. "With friends like these, who needs enemies?" he quoted with an exaggerated sigh, then joined them in their laughter.

After all, they weren't wrong about the rosebushes.

* * *

Angwyn moaned as the hot water of her shower slowly began to loosen her sore muscles. It just didn't seem possible that the stretching and simple kata that Juno had taught her the day before in their inaugural lesson could do such a number on her body. But she had been feeling a little stiff when she went to bed last night, and when she had gotten up this morning it seemed that every muscle in her body had protested.

_I must be getting soft from living in the palace_, she reflected, wincing as she reached up to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. _Never thought I would miss those farm chores._ Turning off the shower, she stepped out and grabbed a towel, wincing again as she wrapped it around her body. _And what luck, getting all stiff and sore the same day I'm gonna go talk to the Queen._

She wrapped her hair in another towel and stepped into her closet, scanning her clothes for the perfect outfit for her upcoming meeting. Her collection was rather substantial thanks to Cytheria, who had taken far too much pleasure in dressing up her young friend. Angwyn smiled as she remembered that shopping trip. The Venusian princess had run her ragged, dragging her from one store to another and insisting on paying for it all, despite the fact that Angwyn had already saved up a fair amount from the generous allowance the Queen had granted her.

Cytheria had brought another one of her friends along on that excursion, a blonde-haired young woman that looked slightly older than Angwyn and introduced herself as Peri. Angwyn had quickly taken a liking to her, and they had taken turns teasing Cytheria for her over-exuberance in the retail arts. Not that it stopped Peri from participating in the dress-up sessions: she walked away with almost as much product as Angwyn.

It wasn't until they had returned to the palace, feet aching and arms loaded with a rainbow of shopping bags, that Peri pulled a familiar-looking pen from her purse, identical to the one Cytheria always brought with her whenever they left the palace compound. As the disguise field dropped, Angwyn found herself staring at Serenity's heir – her princess – Pandia. At that moment Angwyn understood what had endeared the Princess so strongly to the Inner Senshi. She wasn't some snooty aristocrat that barely tolerated the mere mortals under her. She was just a normal human girl that just happened to be the daughter of the queen. She liked the same things that other girls liked, and her cheerful, friendly disposition endeared her to anyone who could see past her royal lineage.

Her thoughts returning to the task at hand, Angwyn continued her scan of her wardrobe. Ultimately she selected the same blouse and pants that she had worn to her first meeting with the queen nearly a month before, reasoning that if that meeting had gone well, it wouldn't hurt to keep things as similar as possible. She snorted at all of the clothes she had passed over. She was astute enough to realize that the shopping trip that had led to their purchase ultimately wasn't about increasing her wardrobe. Cytheria had been concerned about her young friend's emotional well-being in the wake of her parents' deaths. Getting Angwyn out of the palace; inviting Pandia; hardly giving her a chance to breathe between fittings: it had all been calculated to get her mind off of her loss and help her heal. And Angwyn had to admit that it had worked. She knew she still lacked her former effervescence, and she still missed her mom and dad terribly, but she was undoubtedly improving.

She was just finishing pinning back her hair when a knock sounded on her door. _That's odd_, she thought to herself. _Cytheria wasn't going to be here for another ten minutes_. She stood up and stepped into the main room to answer the door, but before she could reach it the door opened and Sandrine poked her head in. "Angwyn?"

Angwyn approached the door. "Hey Sandrine. What's up?"

Sandrine looked a bit nonplussed. "You have a visitor," she simply said, pushing the door the rest of the way open and standing aside.

In stepped the Princess Pandia herself. "Hello, Angwyn," she said with a smile. Sandrine slipped out, shutting the door behind her.

"Princess!" Angwyn exclaimed, bowing. "Ah, um, what are you doing here?"

Curiously, Pandia looked somewhat embarrassed. "Well, I was wondering if you had a few minutes? I was hoping to talk to you, if that's all right."

"Okay," Angwyn answered, "though I was just going to meet with your mom in a few minutes." She fidgeted. "Is that why you're here?"

"No," Pandia replied. "I did know about your meeting, and I apologize for arriving with so little time to spare. However, this was the first opportunity I had to come see you, and I had to take it."

Angwyn cocked her head in confusion. "You had to see me? Why?"

Now it was the princess's turn to fidget, which only added to Angwyn's confusion and curiosity. Pandia said, "Do you... I mean..." She took a deep breath and blurted, "I-like-Endymion-and-I-think-he-likes-me-too." She blew out her breath and looked at the floor, her face beet red.

Angwyn just stared at her princess for several seconds. "Okaaay," she finally drawled. After a few more seconds she added, "Do you wanna sit down?"

The nonsequitor was enough to snap Pandia out of her embarrassment-induced immobility. "Y-yes, thank you," she answered. Together they sat at Angwyn's small dining table.

Short on time and emboldened by the princess's confession, Angwyn got right to the point. "Why are you telling me this?"

Pandia took another deep breath before responding. "To be honest, I don't think Mother would approve. And I felt like I was going to burst! I had to tell somebody, but all of my friends are senshi or other nobles, and if I told them I'm sure she'd hear about it. But you – I realized when I met you a couple weeks ago that you were different."

"I'm a commoner," Angwyn stated flatly.

"Well, yes," Pandia conceded, "and I noticed that you didn't care about palace gossip, so you probably wouldn't share this. But more than that, I was thinking that we are almost the same age, so you would understand my situation much better. Because let's face it," and here she leaned conspiratorially toward Angwyn, "the senshi are _ancient_."

Angwyn had to laugh. "Yeah. Though if you're looking for relationship advice I'm not sure I'll be that much help. I've never had a boyfriend."

Pandia gaped. "Surely you're joking!" When Angwyn shook her head she continued, "But you're so pretty! Your hair and your – um – figure; surely you must have had guys lining up to ask you out!"

Angwyn blushed at the awkward compliment. It was true that as she had matured over the last couple of years, her increasingly generous proportions had attracted a correspondingly increase in the amount of male attention, not all of it welcome. "If these are all a guy wants, he can look elsewhere," she stated with conviction. "I'm not interested."

"Well, good for you; though they certainly don't hurt your prospects," Pandia chuckled. "Just don't wait _too_ long for Mr. Right. After all, you are only young once."

_Not if I was a senshi_, Angwyn thought in response. _Then I would be young forever_. Out loud she said, "So how long have you two been seeing each other?"

"Just a couple of months. We met when he came on a diplomatic visit with some other politicians and scientists from Earth."

Angwyn furrowed her brow, then snapped her fingers. "That's right! I remember my dad talking about some VIPs that stopped by his lab at the University. He didn't say who they were, but the prince's visit was all over the news so it wasn't hard to guess."

"Yes, that was probably Endymion," Pandia sighed wistfully. "He was so handsome!" She giggled. "He actually didn't speak to me at first. I think he was trying to stay professional. But I caught him looking at me more than once. The night before he left Mother hosted a dinner for his group, and he was seated next to me. It was so cute the way he got all flustered every time I brushed his arm or leg."

Angwyn laughed. "Completely accidentally, I'm sure."

"Of course," Pandia responded, but her grin stated otherwise. "After the dinner he stopped me outside of the dining room. He said he had enjoyed his stay, thanked me for our hospitality, and asked if he could contact me if he had any further questions about the Moon Kingdom and its leadership."

"That doesn't sound very romantic," Angwyn stated with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, no," Pandia admitted. "But then why did he ask _me_ instead of Mother? Besides, when he spoke to me he was _nervous_." She giggled. "I could tell."

Angwyn smiled. "So how many times has he contacted you?

Pandia's face fell. "Actually, none."

Angwyn leaned back in her chair, her doubt obvious on her face. "I don't know, that doesn't sound like someone in love."

Pandia blushed. "I didn't say he _loved _me! Just that he might _like _me. After all, he would want to be secret about it, right? Maybe he's trying to find a way to talk to me without anyone finding out!"

Angwyn was doubtful, but before she could answer the princess, another knock sounded on the door. Pandia's eyes went wide and she _eeped_.

"Ah! I can't let Cytheria see me here! I need to hide!" She jumped out of the chair, and after frantically glancing around the small apartment she dashed into the washroom.

Angwyn just stared after the flighty princess for a moment before shaking her head and stepping over to the door. She opened it just as Cytheria was raising her fist to knock again.

"Oh, hi Angwyn," Cytheria said. "Are you ready for your audience with the queen?"

Angwyn straightened her blouse and took a deep breath. _Confidence_, she told herself. _Just be confident_. "Yes," she answered to her friend.

"Alright then," Cytheria smiled. "Let's go." They stepped into the hallway, Angwyn hesitantly closing the door behind her. As they started down the hall, Cytheria glanced back. "So, I have a question," she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Why was the princess hiding in your washroom?"

Angwyn gave a nervous laugh. "You knew she was there?"

"Of course!" She touched her temple. "I detected her with my super senshi senses!" When Angwyn gaped at her, she laughed. "Well, okay, not really. She wasn't very quiet about trying to hide. I could hear her through the door."

Angwyn rolled her eyes. Though she didn't care for gossip, sometimes she overheard things, and if the grapevine was to be believed, Pandia was lucky to have made it to the washroom without tripping over her feet. Having spent a little bit of time with her, Angwyn knew that was an exaggeration, but she had to admit that the princess hadn't been too subtle in her haste to hide herself. For that matter, why was she hiding from Cytheria anyway? As far as she could tell the senshi hadn't overheard their conversation, and though the princess's presence in that section of the palace was unusual, it wasn't unimaginable given their previous meeting on the shopping trip. All in all, there wasn't anything Angwyn could think of that would clue Cytheria into the true reason why Pandia was in her apartment.

"Actually, I'm not sure why she was hiding," Angwyn finally answered, truthfully.

Cytheria eyed her companion. "So what were you two talking about?"

"Oh, you know, girl talk," Angwyn answered a little too quickly. "She, uh, asked if I had a boyfriend and stuff."

Fortunately for the princess, Cytheria latched onto that last comment. "Ooh, do you? Do I know him?"

"No, you don't! I mean, I don't!" Angwyn exclaimed.

"Hmm. Angwyn, my dear, I think we need to broaden your social life." Cytheria grew quiet as they walked on, wheels turning as she switched into full matchmaker mode. Angwyn, for her part, felt a growing pit of dread in her stomach that had nothing to do with her upcoming meeting with the queen.

Several minutes later the two women entered the large sun-lit atrium to the throne room. Cytheria was still plotting and occasionally muttering to herself, which was proving to be a very effective, if unintentional, distraction for Angwyn from any nervousness over her coming meeting. Standing before the large doors was a tall woman with long dark green hair and a black-and-white fuku. Before her she held a long staff with a heart-shaped tip, within which sat a large deep red gem. "Sailor Pluto!" Angwyn gasped.

"Hello, Angwyn," the Guardian of Time greeted warmly as they approached. She wore a friendly and strangely knowing smile. "It is an honor to finally meet you."

"Um, likewise," Angwyn stuttered with a bow. Today was certainly turning out to be a day of surprises. First a personal visit by the Moon Princess in her quarters, and now she stood face-to-face with the most reclusive and mysterious of all the senshi, the one who guarded not just the Moon Kingdom and its leadership, but Time itself. Sailor Pluto's duties were important enough to exempt her from the normal guard rotation in which the other senshi participated over the queen and princess. "What are you doing here?" Angwyn blurted out.

"I'm helping out a friend," Pluto answered with an enigmatic smile. "This would have been Mercury's week to guard Her Majesty, but she had other responsibilities. A tutoring job, I believe." Angwyn blushed as Pluto concluded, "I volunteered to fill in."

Angwyn wanted to crawl into a hole. Why did these people keep making such a fuss over her? Why would they keep going out of their way to help her, when it was to their own inconvenience? She was just an orphaned commoner. Sure she had been able to use magic, but that had been for only two days nearly a month ago. She hadn't asked for such attention, and she certainly didn't think that she deserved it.

_No_, she thought, _I can't think like that. Mercury told me that my magic might return. Obviously Serenity and the senshi don't want a rogue magic user running around with no control over her powers. Control. That _is_ the point of this meeting, after all_.

Pluto and Cytheria watched silently as the tide of emotions played out across the red-headed teen's face. Finally Angwyn regained her composure and looked up at Pluto. "Thank you," she stated simply and honestly. Bowing, she added, "Sorry for taking you away from your other duties."

Pluto looked surprised. "Not at all! I look forward to any opportunity I have to return to the Moon. This is my homeworld after all, and I spend so much time away..." Her expression turned wistful for a moment before the corner of her mouth twitched upward. "I should be thanking you." Suddenly she straightened back to attention, absentmindedly touching the earring hanging from her right ear. "Sounds like it's your turn," she whispered to Angwyn, and stepped forward to swing open the large door.

An elderly couple stepped out of the throne room, smiling and nodding at the ladies. As they passed, Queen Serenity's voice followed. "Come in, Angwyn."

Angwyn took a deep breath and straightened her blouse. Behind her, Cytheria patted her shoulder. "Good luck," she whispered. Giving her a grateful smile, Angwyn stepped through the large door. A moment later it clicked softly shut behind her.

Angwyn walked stiffly across the multi-patterned granite tiles of the throne room floor. Her stiffness had nothing to do with her sore muscles. _Confidence, confidence, confidence_, she repeated to herself. C_ome on, you rehearsed this. You can do it! _Across the room, Serenity sat patiently on her throne, her face a picture of kindness. Angwyn found that the Queen's open expression had a soothing effect on her nerves, though she couldn't help wondering how that expression would change when she presented her request.

In short order Angwyn stood before the dais. She bowed her head and knelt on one knee. "Thank you for seeing me, Your Highness."

"I must admit to some surprise when I received your formal request for an audience," Serenity said. "If we are not meeting your needs, you only need to let one of the servants know."

"No, Your Majesty, that's not it," answered Angwyn. "My request is a bit more... serious."

Serenity raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Angwyn took another deep breath. "My Queen, with your grace, I would like to join the ranks of your Sailor Senshi."

Angwyn had been right about the queen's demeanor. The kind and inviting expression disappeared, replaced with one that was carefully neutral, not revealing any of the thoughts or emotions underneath. "This is not a role that one should ask for lightly," Serenity stated, "and no new senshi has been appointed since the original eight, five centuries ago. Why do you desire this?"

Angwyn's hands started shaking slightly, as despite her preparations, her nerves began to get the better of her. She clasped them tightly over her bent knee as she launched into the justification that she had rehearsed. "Your majesty, when I first moved into the palace you told me that I possessed a star crystal. I know that my Spark – star seed – is what allowed me to access magic in the first place, and that the star crystal could give me access to far more power when my magic returns. I've also learned that the senshi's connection to their planets provides a buffer, limiting the amount of power that they can channel at one time. Without that buffer, I fear that a time will come when I may no longer be able to control my magic." She looked up into the queen's eyes. "I don't want to die, and I don't want to hurt anyone else."

Serenity's chest tightened at the emotion behind that last plea. But there was a hole in Angwyn's logic. "Angwyn, just because you have a star crystal, does not mean that you will have full access to all of the power that it could potentially channel," she pointed out. "The fact that you cannot use any magic right now demonstrates this. The risk may never arise, and even if it does, we can find other ways to mitigate it. Besides, the mantle of a senshi is not a light one. My guardians have given up much to bear the responsibility for the safety of this kingdom, not the least of which is watching their friends and family grow old and pass on while they never age. It is not an easy life."

"I have no more family," Angwyn answered, "and some of my friends _are _senshi. I have nothing more to lose."

Serenity closed her eyes and didn't answer for a moment. When she opened them, the determination behind her gaze left no question that she had made up her mind. "I am sorry, Angwyn. The eight current senshi are enough to protect the Moon Kingdom, and I have no intention of appointing more. I am afraid that I must deny your request."

Angwyn swallowed in bitter disappointment, and she nodded. "I understand. Thank you for hearing my request."

Serenity's expression grew warm again. She stepped down from her throne and motioned for Angwyn to rise. As they started back towards the entrance to the throne room, she put an arm around Angwyn's shoulder and said, "Do not be discouraged, my dear. You possess a strength and a resiliency that is to be admired. I foresee you accomplishing great things in your life, regardless of magic ability or title. Be the remarkable young woman I know you to be, and make your parents proud."

Angwyn's eyes were moist as they approached the large double doors. As Sailor Pluto pushed the door open, Angwyn stopped and turned toward the queen. "Thank you. Your confidence... it means a lot. I'll do my best."

Serenity smiled. "Take care, Angwyn."

Angwyn bowed one last time and walked out of the throne room. Cytheria was waiting for her. "So... how did it go?"

Angwyn shook her head. "She said no."

Cytheria sighed. "Well, we knew it was a long shot. Still, that took a lot of courage to ask her. I'm really proud of you."

Without warning, Angwyn threw her arms around the taller woman, her tears suddenly flowing unbidden. After a brief moment of surprise, Cytheria smiled and hugged her young friend back. Angwyn sniffed, "You're a good friend, you know that?"

Cytheria was unsuccessful at keeping her own vision from blurring a little. "Thanks; you're not so bad yourself." She felt Angwyn chuckle into her shoulder. "Tell you what, I feel in the mood for a big bowl of iced cream. Are you with me?"

Angwyn's mouth watered. Iced cream was one of those exotic treats that she had first been introduced to here at the palace, and it had been love at first bite. She stepped back and gave Cytheria a big grin. "That sounds wonderful! Lead the way!"

Serenity and Pluto watched the two women leave the atrium, headed toward the Royal Mall where the iced cream shop was located. "You know," Serenity mused, "That was my last audience for the morning." She produced a disguise pen and turned to the green-haired senshi. "Setsuna, do you like iced cream?"

The Guardian of Time grinned, and in a flash of light her senshi armor was replaced with elegant yet casual street clothes. Echoing the recently-departed teenager she replied, "Lead the way."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Rocket-Ball is from _Shadow of the Sun: The Dark Side of the Moon_ by Almech Alfarion.

Finally, in this chapter the remainder of the major players in the last days of the Silver Millenium get to make their appearance. The Shittenou were particularly fun to write, the way they badger each other and Endymion. They remind me of some of my room mates back in college.

This chapter also marks the end of the first part of the story, where Angwyn settles into life in the palace. From here on out there will be longer gaps of time between the chapters as we touch on the major events of her life. That is, longer gaps of "story time." The amount of real-world time between chapter releases is long enough. :-P

* * *

**Copyright Notice**

The characters and stories of _Sailor Moon_ and _Ranma ½_ are Copyright © Naoko Takeuchi and Rumiko Takahashi, respectively, and are used here without permission or license.

No claims to the above copyrights are made by the author of this work.

This work is for non-commercial use ONLY, and is produced for the enjoyment of fans only.

This work is the expression of the author and the depiction of the _Sailor Moon_ and _Ranma ½_ characters herein are in no way represented to be a part of _Sailor Moon_ or _Ranma ½_ as depicted by the original authors and copyright holders.


	6. New Evidence

SILVER SUN

A _Sailor__Ranko_ fanfic  
by Jason Heinrich

Based on the _Sailor__Ranko_ story and webcomic by Duncan Zillman and Rebecca Heineman.

* * *

CHAPTER 5: NEW EVIDENCE

The youma known as Kel raced frantically down the back streets of the Earth capital's industrial district, clawed toes scraping the paving stones as she wound a circuitous route back towards the supposedly abandoned warehouse that had hidden the youma's lair for the past ten months. She had given up any pretense of appearing human, reverting to her natural form with its superior strength and speed in a desperate effort to elude the human security forces that were now pursuing her. While as a harvester she couldn't match the warrior or worker youma in strength and durability, she was still physically far superior to any of the humans behind her, and if she had faced even three or four of them in hand-to-hand combat they would have been no match for her. But these security officers carried projectile weapons that could inflict damage far faster than she could regenerate, and if just one of them got off a lucky shot and hit the crystal in her chest...

She hid around the corner of an alley and stopped to catch her breath. She had gotten greedy, she knew. Rather than absorbing small amounts of energy from individuals on the street, she had taken the time to indulge herself, draining all of the life from a homeless man who had camped in an alleyway very similar to the one in which she now hid. Her reasoning – that he was an unknown who would not be missed – turned out to be dead wrong. Just as she was finishing, a woman had arrived to drop off a meal for the man who, it turned out, had been a well-known and well-loved member of the community for many years. Upon spotting Kel standing over the man's corpse, the woman had ran and called for help, attracting far too much attention for the youma to have a chance to silence her. Within moments Kel was fleeing for her life.

Now that she had a chance to stop and think, the gravity of her mistake was beginning to seep in. About a month previous, another youma had been killed by capital security. It had been one of the infiltrators, on assignment to monitor the security forces for any hint that they were aware of the growing youma population in the city. Inexplicably, it had suddenly gone insane, killing an officer and destroying the very ignorance that it had been tasked with protecting. It fled back toward the warehouse, finally succumbing to a hail of bullets as it tried to cross the creek about a kilometer upstream from its destination. Fortunately for the rest of the youma, the security officers were denied any solid evidence when the youma dissolved into dust on the spot, the water washing its remains away.

Lady Beryl had been furious when she arrived at the youma lair that evening. For nearly an hour straight she had berated her assembled minions, colorfully reiterating the importance of absolute secrecy and graphically explaining the horrific fate of any youma that would risk exposing her secret operation. The message was clear: mess up and you won't live to regret it.

Kel leaned against the alley wall in despair as she realized that she could never go back to the cool, inviting caverns that had been her home since her creation six months ago. Not only did she risk giving away their location, but even if she did make it back undetected, she would likely not survive Beryl's rage. And with all the security forces on alert, her chances on the street didn't look much better. It seemed that her choices were death at Beryl's hand, or death at the hands of...

"Don't move, monster," a low, rough voice growled as something cold and hard pressed against the left side of her head. Kel froze. How on earth had a human managed to sneak up on her in the limited space of the alley? Then a feral grin curled her lips. While such a close-range shot would definitely hurt and slow her down until the wound had regenerated, the human didn't realize that apart from her crystal she had no centralized, critical organs. Even a hole in her head wouldn't kill her, and against her superior strength, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Almost faster than sight, Kel whirled and swung her forearm up, smashing the man's arm into the alley wall, his weapon discharging harmlessly past her head and down the alley. A small part of her mind noted with surprise that the weapon had fired some sort of energy bolt rather than a bullet, but she didn't take the time to dwell on it. A vicious backhand from her other arm sent the man flying, slamming hard into the opposite wall and sliding senseless to the ground.

Another gunshot very effectively grabbed her attention as a second energy bolt burned into her left shoulder, shooting pain down her arm and across her chest. Spinning around to face the entrance to the alley, she saw another human standing partially silhouetted against the light of the street beyond. Kel noted with interest that neither of the men wore security uniforms, though it made little difference. Whether they were working with the officers that had been pursuing her or not, she would finish them off and use their energy to heal her injuries. Blurring into motion, she leapt at the gunman, claws outstretched with the intent to rip out his throat.

She never made it. Dropping his weapon, the man stretched out his hand and Kel's forward motion suddenly stopped. She struggled futilely, an invisible power holding her suspended.

"Interesting," he commented as he made a gesture, and she floated nearer to him, but still maddeningly out of reach. At this close range she could see that he had long silver hair and eyes like cold steel. Those eyes narrowed as they bore into hers. "Where are you from? What is your purpose here?"

Kel only snarled in reply. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a half dozen security officers running up the street towards them, weapons drawn. Behind her, a shuffling sound indicated that the silver-haired man's partner was coming to his senses. She had only one chance, and little time to pull it off. With a roar, Kel threw both of her hands forward and began to drain her captor's life energy as quickly as she could.

The man gasped and stumbled as he suddenly lost his strength, and Kel dropped roughly to the ground as his concentration and hold on her were broken. She scrambled to her feet, intent on finishing off the infuriating human, but was stopped as an energy bolt struck her in the back. She cried out in pain and whirled around, but multiple gun shots rang out and she found herself futilely trying to shield herself from the approaching security forces' bullets. The silver-haired man scrambled out of the line of fire, gasping for breath. Kel attempted to do the same, but she was stopped as another energy bolt from the human in the alley momentarily rendered her leg useless.

Kel cried out as pain and death rained in from two directions. Moments before the gunfire completely overwhelmed her, she bitterly considered that even this was less painful than what she would have endured had she returned to the youma's hideout and faced Lady Beryl.

Then her crystal cracked under the strain, and her body crumbled to dust.

The man from the alley hurried out to his companion. Though still not very steady on his feet himself, he reached down to help the silver-haired man up. "Are you alright Captain Kunzite?"

Kunzite accepted the proffered arm and stood with a little difficulty. "I think I'm fine, thank you Titus," he answered. "I wasn't ready for that energy-draining attack, though." He rolled his shoulders experimentally. "I'm already starting to feel better, so it apparently isn't a permanent effect." He turned as the security officers arrived. One of them immediately pulled some small bags out of a pouch and began collecting some of the youma's rapidly dissipating dust. Another, the ranking officer judging from the stripes on his collar, stepped around to the two men.

"Are you gentlemen alright? Do you need any medical assistance?"

"No, thank you, sir," Kunzite responded. He pulled his ID from his pocket and displayed it to the officer. "Captain Kunzite of His Majesty's Armed Forces." He gestured to his companion. "This is Lieutenant Titus."

The officer extended his hand to Kunzite, who took it. "Captain Albite, Capital Security." He glanced down at the youma's remains, which had almost completely blown away. "Thanks for the help in stopping this monster. It murdered a man about twenty minutes ago before running off. This is the second time one of these things has killed someone; we need to find out where they're coming from and put a stop to it before someone else dies."

"That disintegration when they die is a neat trick," Titus grumbled. "Doesn't leave much evidence."

Albite shook his head. "At least we got something this time." He looked down at the officer who was collecting the dust. "How much, Anorthite?"

"Three bags, sir," Anorthite answered, holding up the small evidence bags. "The rest blew away too quickly. It's extremely fine: the slightest breeze picks it up."

"Well, it's better than nothing," Albite responded.

"Excuse me," Kunzite interjected. "Would you mind if I brought one of those back with us? I'd like to have our people take a look at it."

"Certainly," Albite said. Anorthite passed one of the evidence bags to Kunzite.

"Thank you. Let's get going, Titus." Kunzite retrieved his weapon from the sidewalk where he had dropped it, and they began walking away from the scene.

"Wait a second," Albite called after them. He glanced longingly at Kunzite's military-issue pistol before returning his attention to its owner. "May I ask what the military is doing out here in the slums? And in street clothes no less?"

"No," Kunzite answered flatly. Albite scowled. "Don't worry, Captain," Kunzite reassured him, "If we find anything, we'll let your people know."

Albite sighed. "I guess that's all I can ask."

Kunzite nodded in farewell, and he and Titus returned to their vehicle, which was parked a couple of blocks away. As they drove away Titus pondered, "Two monsters, both killed in this warehouse district. You think that thing's nest is what Zoicite sensed when he flew over this area the other day?"

"I'm not sure," Kunzite replied. "I could barely sense that one when it was right on top of me. While I admit that Zoicite's magic sensitivity is higher than my own, there would still have to be hundreds of those things for him to sense them from the air, especially if he wasn't looking for them." They sat unspeaking for a moment, the silence pregnant with the implication of that realization. Finally Kunzite added, "Endymion will want to know about this."

"I can take the sample to the labs if you want to report to the prince right away," Titus offered.

Kunzite nodded, and increased their speed slightly as they hurried back towards the palace.

* * *

Jens Maltheson of the Royal Emergency Services forensics team leaned back in his chair and stretched, resting his eyes after cataloging evidence samples for an hour strait. Even being the lead technician on the evening shift didn't rescue him from the mind-numbing work. Of course, being one of only two people working that shift may have had something to do with that.

Jens rose and walked across the lab toward the coffee maker. He supposed he should be glad that they had the work, he reflected, though it seemed somehow ironic that in the near-utopian society of the Moon Kingdom, his career depended on people committing crimes. While it was true that violent crime was extremely rare – he could think of only three cases in his two years on the team – petty crime was almost as much of a problem on the Moon as it was on Earth.

He had just lifted the carafe out of the coffee maker when the buzzer sounded from the lab's delivery door. "More samples," he groaned. "Hey, Silas!" he called back into the lab.

"Yeah?" his partner answered.

"Could you get that?"

"Sure."

Jens finished pouring his coffee and took a sip. He made a face. "Ugh, time for a new brew." It was actually a pretty good quality brand, grown on an Eastern Tranquility plantation, but even the best coffee could only sit in the pot for so long before going rancid. Adding a second scoop of sugar to hide the bitterness, he walked back to his desk. Silas returned from the delivery door a few seconds later with a small sealed case and handed it to Jens.

"Check this out."

Jens eyed the delivery label, and his eyebrows went up. "Wow, a sample from Earth? Why would they be sending something to us?"

Silas made a hurrying gesture with his hand. "Well, open it up and let's find out!"

With a nod, Jens broke the seal on the case and twisted the latch. With a click the lid came loose, and he flipped it open. Inside was a small plastic bag filled with a fine greyish-purple powder, a couple of security photographs, a lab report, and a letter. He eyed the bag of powder for a second – something about it seemed familiar – before setting it aside and picking up the photographs. Keeping those for himself, he handed the letter to Silas.

"Let's see," Silas muttered as scanned the letter. "According to this, there have been two instances of monster attacks in Adalandis... one fatality in each instance... the most recent was a couple of weeks ago. When killed, the monsters dissolved into dust." They both glanced at the bag before Silas continued, "The pictures are from the first attack, which was in the lobby of one of their security stations, and the dust sample is from the second monster."

"So they weren't able to get a picture and a sample from the same creature?" Jens asked. "Figures."

Silas shrugged. "According to this, both security and military technicians have examined the sample. They detected an unusual faint magical signature; it says here that its waveform was similar to human ki. There were also some unknown organic compounds, but for the most part it was just common minerals, such as could be found in the soil around the Earth capital. They'd like to know if we've seen anything like it, or if we know of... Jens?"

At the mention of "unknown organic compounds," Jens's eyes had lost focus. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. "I'll be right back!" he called over his shoulder as he practically ran into the back room where old evidence was archived. A few minutes later he returned carrying a large envelope, a victorious grin on his face. "I knew I'd seen that dust before," he said, pulling a small bag out of the envelope and dropping it on the desk next to the sample from Earth. Apart from their color, the dust in the two bags was identical.

Silas stared at the bags in astonishment. "Where did you find that?"

"A year ago the RES responded to an explosion at a farmhouse out in the Haemus Highlands. Completely destroyed the place and killed the owners; only the daughter survived. I was on the forensics team, and I found this dust under the man's body. Sailor Mercury identified it as having come from Earth, which led some people to suspect a terrorist attack. I personally thought it was just an accident." His smile faltered. "I guess I was wrong." He looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "We never were able to determine exactly what happened."

Silas was digging through the envelope, and pulled out the analysis of Jens' sample. He compared it to the lab report from Earth. "Magic signatures are slightly different, but the biological and mineralogical components are almost a perfect match." He looked up at Jens. "Looks like you've got your first new lead on a cold case."

The gleam returned to Jens' eye, and he started returning the material from Earth to its case. "I'm headed to the palace. Sailor Mercury and the Queen are going to want to know about this right away."

"What do you want me to do?" Silas asked.

"You," Jens answered, pointing to the tray of samples they had been cataloging before the case from Earth had arrived, "get to finish those."

Silas groaned.

* * *

"Aren't you just the cutest thing!" Angwyn cooed to the baby in her lap. "Who's my widdle baby Theresa? That's you; yes it is!" She tickled the infant's ribs, causing her to squirm and burble in the three-month-old equivalent of a laugh.

Sandrine sat across Angwyn's small dining table, smiling at the joy in the young woman's face as she played with the servant's daughter. Angwyn's amusement was reflected by Juno and Cytheria, who were making faces at the baby girl over Angwyn's shoulder.

"Thank you so much for bringing your baby over," Cytheria said. "She's absolutely adorable!" Juno and Angwyn nodded their agreement.

"You're very welcome," answered Sandrine, who had grown much more comfortable around the senshi over the past year thanks to their frequent presence at Angwyn's apartment. "Today was her first day in the palace nursery, so I thought I might stop in before I headed home for the evening. Are you sure I'm not interrupting anything?"

"Not at all," Juno spoke up. "We just came back with Angwyn from her martial arts class. Athena's in town this week and is helping Angwyn with her magic, so we figured we'd hang around and keep her company till she shows up."

Sandrine nodded. As the princess of the one other significantly populated world in the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Mars was the only senshi who actually fulfilled the leadership role that her title of "princess" entailed. As such, she was generally considered the informal leader of the Inner Senshi. Ironically, it also meant that because she split her time between Mars and the Moon, she was around the palace and the other Inners much less frequently. Angwyn had already mentioned to Sandrine that as a fellow fire adept, Athena had been helping her on those rare opportunities that their schedules coincided, and with some success.

Angwyn leaned over and rubbed noses with Theresa. In response, the baby blew her a raspberry.

Juno laughed. "I think she's tired of you." Directing her attention to Theresa she said, "Do you want to come to Auntie Juno? Yes? I knew you did!"

"Auntie Juno?" Cytheria asked with a raised eyebrow. "More like Great-Great-Great-Great Grandma Juno!"

Juno smacked her friend in the back of the head. "Shut up, you."

Chuckling, Sandrine rose to her feet. "Actually, I need to get home. Alexander's going to start wondering what happened to me if I don't get going soon." She leaned over and retrieved her baby girl.

"Aww," Angwyn complained as Theresa left her lap. "You'll bring her back again, right?"

"Of course!" Sandrine replied. "And maybe when she gets older you could even do some babysitting. How does that sound?"

Angwyn looked a little less certain about that. "Um, maybe. But I don't really know anything about taking care of kids."

Sandrine waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm sure you would do great!" She retrieved her bag from the kitchenette counter and stopped before the apartment door. "Goodnight, princesses, Angwyn. I'm working up here again on Wednesday: I'll see you then, okay?"

Angwyn and the senshi waved their goodbyes as Sandrine opened the door and stepped through. "Oh, excuse me," was heard from the hallway a second later, and a hand stopped the door before it could close. "Hello?" called a voice as a woman with long black hair poked her head in.

"Athena!" Angwyn greeted her. "Come in!"

"Look who I found wandering the halls," Athena said, opening the door fully. Sailor Mercury, in full senshi uniform, followed her in and waved at the assembled group.

"I wasn't wandering," Mercury objected. "I knew exactly where I was going. I know the palace like the back of my hand."

"Minerva?" Cytheria asked. "Aren't you on guard duty this week?"

"I am," the Senshi of Mercury confirmed, "but the Queen and Princess turned in early tonight. And since Angwyn's apartment is here in the palace, I figured it would be okay to stop by and see how the lesson went."

"Wow, I have an audience," Angwyn noted. "That's alright. Hey, Mercury, check out what me and Athena were working on yesterday..."

* * *

Jens stepped into the atrium of the throne room and paused, his face falling when he saw two regular palace guards standing watch before the throne room door, rather than Sailor Mercury. "Oh, great," he muttered under his breath. "Where could she be?"

The guards subtly shifted their pikes across their bodies into a two-handed ready position as Jens approached. "State your business," one of them challenged.

Jens fished into his pocket and pulled out his RES ID. "I'm Jens Maltheson from the RES. I have important evidence regarding a case in which the Queen was personally involved." He held up the case from Earth.

"Her Majesty is not available," the same guard said. "May I see that?" It wasn't really a question.

"Please be careful," Jens pleaded as the guard opened the case and peered at its contents. "As I said, that is evidence in an investigation. Besides, it was already scanned and cleared when I entered the palace."

For the first time, the other guard spoke up. "Hey, I think I recognize that case. Isn't that the one the courier from Earth had with him when he dropped off those roses?"

The first guard glanced at the label on the top of the case. "It sure is." Satisfied, he closed the lid and handed it back to Jens. "If you want to present this to the Queen, you'll have to return tomorrow."

"What about Sailor Mercury?" Jens asked. "She was involved in the investigation as well."

"When we relieved her she said she was headed to the residential wing," the second guard answered. "You could try there."

"Thank you, I will. Good evening." With a nod of acknowledgment, Jens turned and headed for the south side of the palace complex in search of the genius senshi.

* * *

Brow creased in concentration, Angwyn held her hand over the four unlit candles that were arranged on her dining table. The memory of her mother performing this trick when she had revealed her magic to Angwyn last year had never faded from the girl's mind. She had thought it would be a fitting way to honor her mother's memory to do the same trick herself on her 17th birthday, but with only a couple days to go, she was beginning to wonder if she could learn it in time.

The problem wasn't one of ability – she had finally regained a small amount of access to her magic a few months ago – but one of precision and control. Angwyn still couldn't draw enough power to create a fireball like she had once been able to, but she _could_ produce enough heat to melt the candles if she wasn't careful. And whereas throwing a fireball was a relatively simple matter of projecting the energy in the desired direction, lighting the candles required focusing just the right amount of heat precisely on the tiny wicks. She had learned from Athena how to light a single candle without too much trouble the day before, but focusing her power on multiple points simultaneously was turning out to be a much greater challenge.

Having four of the most accomplished magic users in the solar system watching her every attempt – and failure – wasn't helping matters, either.

As she focused on the candles, one finally lit with a small _puff_. A second candle grew shiny as its wax grew soft in the heat, but it didn't light. The other two candles sat untouched. Angwyn sat back in frustration.

"Oh, that was close!" Cytheria encouraged her.

Athena nodded in agreement. "Another couple of millimeters and you'll have it! Try it again, while it's still fresh in your mind."

Angwyn sighed and leaned forward again. Her enthusiasm for the magic lesson had vanished about half an hour ago. What she really wanted to do was grab a snack and lose herself in a good book. But one thing she had learned growing up on a farm was that nothing would be gained by laziness, so she tried to focus on the candles once again.

Angwyn was really beginning to to appreciate the skill her mother had shown that evening a year ago when she had revealed her ability. Not only was lighting candles much harder than it looked, but the fire juggling trick she had demonstrated must have required an incredible amount of control to direct the flame's path around and back down into her hand rather than letting it fly off into the ceiling. Angwyn couldn't help a chuckle as she recalled her father's concern over the possibility of them burning down the house.

"Something funny?" Athena asked.

"Sorry," Angwyn answered, shaking her head. "It's nothing."

"Maybe we should call it a night," Athena suggested. "You've been at it for almost an hour. We can come back to this tomorrow when you're fresh."

"No, I'm really close," Angwyn replied. "I think I can do this. I _know _I can do this. One more try – I'll focus, I promise."

"All right," Athena said, leaning back in her seat. "Go ahead."

Angwyn thought about the problem that faced her. Thinking of her parents, she recalled her father's knowledge and understanding of how magic worked. How would he have figured this out? It occurred to her that one of Aiden's strengths – what allowed him grasp the intricacies of how magic and technology interacted when few other people could – was his ability to approach a problem from multiple angles that others hadn't considered...

Wait a second. Multiple angles? Angwyn dared to hope as she lifted her other hand over the candles. Could it really be that simple?

With a small bit of concentration, two candles popped into flame.

"Yay!" Cytheria and Juno both cheered, while Mercury smiled and clapped.

"Wait!" Angwyn said, holding up a hand before Athena or the others could say anything else. "I think I've got this figured out!"

She quickly extinguished the two candles, then held her hands up again. This time she used four of her fingertips to focus her power, rather than her palms. Obediently, all four candles lit up. "Ha!" she exclaimed with a smirk. "Got it!"

Athena shook her head in disbelief. "You've been working on this for the better part of an hour without success, and suddenly you're able to light all four candles with hardly any trouble? How?"

Angwyn couldn't stop a giggle. "Magic fingers!" she exclaimed, wagging them in the air. Cytheria chuckled behind her, but Athena didn't seem all that amused. Angwyn relented. "I just had to think different about the problem. Though my solution," she wiggled her fingers again, "still won't let me light more than ten at once. Guess I'll have to keep practicing."

"You could use your toes," Cytheria suggested.

Athena ignored her teammate and smiled at Angwyn. "Well, that was still pretty creative thinking. Good job. Do you want to try something else tomorrow?"

"Sure, though could you leave the candles? I'd like to keep practicing this."

"Absolutely." Athena stood and pushed her chair in, then stretched. "This would seem to be a good place to stop. Same time tomorrow, then?"

Angwyn nodded. Just then, a knock sounded on the door.

"Wow, you're popular today," Cytheria observed.

Angwyn got up and crossed the room to the door. Opening it, she looked up to see a thin, nervous-looking blond man holding a small case. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, sorry to intrude," the man said. "My name is Jens. Um, Jens Maltheson. I'm looking for Sailor Mercury, and was told that I might find her here?"

"Yeah, she's here. Come on in." Jens looked extremely relieved as Angwyn opened the door wider to allow him entrance.

Having heard her name, Mercury stepped forward. "Hello, Mr. Maltheson," she greeted him. Her eyes flicked toward Angwyn before returning to the technician. "It has been some time since our paths last crossed. How may I help you?"

Jens gave her a small bow. "It's been a year, m'lady. And that's actually kind of why I'm here." He held out the case. "We have new evidence regarding the attack on that farm last year."

Four pairs of eyes turned as one toward Angwyn, who had gone rigid.

Oblivious to the sudden tension in the apartment, Jens plowed on, determined to present his evidence to the senshi before he lost his nerve. He opened the case and pulled out the pictures, holding both out for Mercury to take. "The queen was right, it was an attack from Earth. Some new kind of monster that they've been having trouble with lately in Adalandis. See, they caught one on camera. They turn into dust when they die: that's what we found under the farmer's body!" Mercury took the items from Jens' hands, painfully aware of the anguish in Angwyn's eyes as the girl stared at them.

"YOU BLOODY INCONSIDERATE BASTARD!" Mercury nearly dropped the evidence and Jens took a startled step backwards as Juno erupted in righteous fury. Even Angwyn was startled out of her stupor by the force of Juno's anger as the Senshi of Thunder rounded on the hapless technician. "How DARE you come in here and speak so callously about her parents' murder? Right in front of her!"

Mercury interposed herself between Juno and the object of her ire. "Wait a second, Juno. I don't think he knew who she was."

Jens looked around in confusion, frantically wondering what he had done to so thoroughly provoke one of the most powerful women in the solar system. His eyes finally settled on the redheaded teenager that had let him in the door. He went pale as 2 and 2 finally clicked together to make 4. "You're the daughter?" he whispered.

Angwyn nodded mutely.

"By Serenity, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, bowing low. "I had no idea! Please forgive my insensitivity!"

Angwyn said nothing for a moment, then turned to Mercury. "I want to see those pictures," she said quietly.

"Um..." Mercury hesitated.

With surprising speed, Angwyn strode over and snatched the pictures out of Mercury's hand. "I need to know what killed my parents," she growled. Mercury, who had never known Angwyn to be so assertive, was too stunned by the girl's sudden intensity to object.

Cytheria, who had been silently watching the whole episode, decided it was time to speak up. "I think this is worth disturbing the queen over."

Mercury nodded in agreement, Athena looked thoughtful, and Juno was still too busy glaring at Jens to respond. "Come on, Mr. Maltheson," Mercury said, taking his arm and leading him back toward the door. "Let's go show your evidence to Serenity."

Angwyn looked up from the surveillance photos. "I'm coming too," she declared.

"Just a moment," Athena interrupted, prompting both Mercury and Angwyn to turn to face her. Jens kept quiet, not wanting to get in the middle of a disagreement between these women, and quite content to leave Mercury's arm looped through his.

"What?" Angwyn demanded, her face clouded with a mixture of anger, grief, and determination.

"When was the most recent attack?"

All eyes turned back to Jens, who unconsciously pulled Mercury slightly closer. Mercury's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she realized that her arm was still linked with his, but didn't move to extricate herself. Yet.

"J-just two weeks ago," Jens replied.

Athena looked back to Mercury. "So do you really think this is so urgent that it can't wait until the morning?"

As Mercury considered the question, Angwyn took a step forward. "I have a right to know what happened to my parents!"

Athena held up a hand. "Yes, you do, and I think you should be allowed to come," she stated. "But not tonight."

Mercury spoke up before Angwyn could argue. "Okay, I'll concede that this isn't such an immediate threat that we need to interrupt the queen this evening. I'll schedule a meeting with her first thing in the morning. But are you sure that bringing Angwyn is wise? She's the victim of this attack. She's too close to it all; too emotionally involved."

"My parents were the victims," Angwyn corrected hotly, "I'm the orphan."

Athena put her hand on Angwyn's shoulder to calm her down. To Mercury she answered, "Don't forget that we've all lost loved ones over the years. My own parents were killed, like Angwyn's, so I have some idea of what she is going through."

Angwyn stared up at the Senshi of Fire. "Really? You... you're an orphan too?"

Athena nodded. "I was an adult when it happened, so I wouldn't exactly call myself an orphan. But yes, I lost my parents when I was younger. My father was the governor of the Mars colony during the Rebellion. He and my mother were at a meeting with some of the largest land owners when the Asterans launched an attack on the colony. The hall in which they were meeting was destroyed." She sighed. "It wasn't the first attack Mars faced, and it wouldn't be the last. But to me, it was the most significant one of the entire rebellion, and I wasn't even there." She nodded toward the other senshi. "We were busy repelling the Asteran forces from the mining operations in Jupiter's asteroid swarms." She looked at Angwyn pointedly. "I wanted so badly to rush back to Mars, to punish those who had hurt me so badly. But I had a duty to my queen, and a responsibility to my fellow senshi to finish the mission at hand. I had to learn the hard way to let go of the pain and hurt; to be patient and draw strength from their memory. I had to accept that I couldn't change what happened. I think that that acceptance has helped me to be a better leader for my people, and a better senshi for my queen."

Angwyn considered Athena's words for a moment before answering quietly, "Okay." Then a glint came into her eye, and she looked around at all of the people in her room. Her gaze grew determined once again as it came to rest on Mercury and Jens. "Just don't forget to come get me in the morning."

Mercury sighed and nodded. Finally removing her arm from Jens's, she opened the door. "Let's go, everyone. We'll see you in the morning, Angwyn." Jens held the door open as everyone else filed out, then quickly shut it and hurried after.

For a few moments, Angwyn just stood there staring at the door, alone with her emotions as they ran circles around her heart. Then the tears finally came and she fell onto her bed, eventually crying herself to sleep.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Somewhere in this chapter someone used an Apple Computer slogan from the late 1990's, without realizing it.

This chapter and the next were originally intended to be a single chapter, but it got to be a bit longer than I was expecting so I split it here. That's good though, because it gives us a little more time in this time frame before we skip to the next major turning point in Angwyn's life. So hopefully it won't feel like we're jumping around too fast. It also gives me a chance to introduce another character that I wanted to include in the storyline, but was wondering how to fit in. Stay tuned!

Athena's testimony brings up one final note, regarding asteroids. This story uses the popular sci-fi meme that the asteroid belt was created by the destruction of a planet: in this case, Astera. However, there are also considerable swarms of asteroids that both follow and precede Jupiter in its orbit around the Sun, at its L4 and L5 Lagrange points. (Look up the "Trojan asteroids" if you want to learn more.) I figure it would make sense that even if Astera existed and there was no asteroid belt as we know it today, asteroids would still exist in the solar system, though in fewer numbers. These would make an excellent source of raw materials for the expanding Moon Kingdom and a strategic asset during wartime, and thus something the senshi and navy would want to defend.

* * *

**Copyright Notice**

The characters and stories of _Sailor__ Moon_ and _Ranma__ ½_ are Copyright © Naoko Takeuchi and Rumiko Takahashi, respectively, and are used here without permission or license.

No claims to the above copyrights are made by the author of this work.

This work is for non-commercial use ONLY, and is produced for the enjoyment of fans only.

This work is the expression of the author and the depiction of the _Sailor __Moon_ and _Ranma__ ½_ characters herein are in no way represented to be a part of _Sailor__ Moon_ or _Ranma __½_ as depicted by the original authors and copyright holders.


	7. Faith, Hope, and Love

SILVER SUN

A _Sailor __Ranko_ fanfic  
by Jason Heinrich

Based on the _Sailor __Ranko_ story and webcomic by Duncan Zillman and Rebecca Heineman. With acknowledgments and thanks to Kevin D. Hammel and Arthur Hansen.

* * *

FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE

Selene, better known as Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, sat before the large mirror in her powder room as she went through her morning ritual, preparing for another day. Amongst the other implements of beauty on the ebony tabletop before her sat an ornate wooden box, an image of the moon carved skillfully into its lid surrounded by nine gems. She placed her hands on the box's sides and sent power into it, releasing the magical wards that kept the box sealed to protect its contents. With the wards deactivated, she lifted the lid with her thumbs to reveal her most treasured adornment.

By itself, the jewelry that sat in the box wasn't particularly fancy. It was a single gold upturned crescent moon, with strings of golden beads extending several centimeters from each side, ending in a pair of hair clips. There were no precious stones. The craftsmanship was high-quality, but there were no embellishments or etchings to make it especially noteworthy. Even the style of jewelry – a browlace, as it had once been called – had fallen out of common use centuries ago.

Yet it wasn't the bauble's monetary value that made it so precious to Serenity. Where other monarchs wore a crown or tiara to symbolize their rule, this simple piece of jewelry, combined with her signature hairstyle and winged gown, was her badge of office. The golden crescent moon on her forehead was instantly recognizable by everyone in the solar system as the mark of the Moon Queen. It was so recognizable, in fact, that Serenity had extended the concept to magically marking her senshi's foreheads with their planets' symbols, and later using her own familiar upturned moon symbol to imprint the foreheads of her Mau advisors and her daughter. The crescent moon, which had once been nothing more than a favorite piece of jewelry, had become the symbol of the leadership of the Moon Kingdom.

Beyond its political significance, the browlace held even more meaning for Serenity, of a far more personal nature. For it had been a gift, given over a millenium previous, from her parents. The occasion had been her near-unanimous selection as the governor of the Moon colony, shortly after she had first learned to tap the power of the Silver Crystal to create the magical dome. The position had been given to her out of gratitude for her service to the colony, and perhaps out of a healthy respect for her growing power. Nevertheless, the office was still largely ceremonial: she had been little more than the figurehead of the colonial council, with a say in the discussions but no vote except to break a tie. This had mattered little to her parents, however, who were so full of pride in their daughter that they threw the biggest celebratory party they could manage. There in front of their friends they presented her with the browlace, a reminder of their love and support even as public life began to monopolize her time.

Obviously her power and authority had grown a bit since then.

None of these things made more than a fleeting pass through her mind this morning, however, as she clipped the browlace into place and began to wind one side of her long hair up into a ball. Her thoughts were on her own daughter. She smiled as she listened to Pandia whistling out in the hallway. Sometimes she wondered why she had waited a thousand years to have a child of her own. Perhaps she had thought that having a family would distract her from her royal duties. Perhaps she was afraid to face the pain of losing a child again, after her onetime ward, the dear Andora, had used her power as Sailor Saturn to end the Asteran Rebellion, sacrificing herself in the process. Knowing the grief that event had caused her - even though Andora had not been her own child - Serenity hadn't wanted to face the prospect of losing her own flesh and blood.

All of those excuses seemed so irrelevant now, paling in comparison to the love and joy that Pandia brought to all around her. For example, a few years back the girl had taken it upon herself to brighten all of the living areas in their own royal residence with fresh flowers, a habit that she diligently kept up with new arrangements every week. Even now her happy whistling reflected her enjoyment in bringing beauty to her environment as she worked on her latest arrangement, a bouquet of thornless red roses that had been imported from Earth. Pandia had started decorating with the roses a few months ago, and Serenity fully agreed with her daughter's appreciation of their beauty.

As she finished tying the second odango into her hair, a melodic tone sounded. It was a sound that she instantly recognized, and one that she knew only she could hear. Quickly securing her hair, she reached out and pulled a communicator from its subspace pocket, flipping the flat round device open in one smooth motion. On the device's small screen, Sailor Mercury appeared.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," Mercury said. "My apologies for interrupting you so early."

Serenity had complete faith in her senshi, and knew that Mercury wouldn't have used the communicator unless it was important. "Do not worry yourself," she replied. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you had time to meet with me before your morning audiences. We've received new evidence regarding the attack on Angwyn's parents that I think you will want to see."

One of Serenity's eyebrows went up. Mercury was right, she did want to see this new evidence. It would be gratifying to finally make some progress on the only unsolved terrorist attack that her realm had seen in centuries. "Of course. Can you meet me at the throne room in half an hour?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." On the communicator Mercury bowed her head before breaking the connection, and the communicator's screen reverted to its default mirror function.

As eager as she was to hear Mercury's findings, the queen wasn't about to miss breakfast. Quickly flipping the communicator closed and stashing it back in subspace, Serenity hurried to straighten up the vanity, shoving the main drawer closed with her hip as she stood. Striding out of her personal quarters, she paused in the hallway to admire Pandia's handiwork with the roses. "They look beautiful dear," she praised her daughter. "These are magnificent arrangements. You always do such a fine job!" She leaned forward and kissed the young woman on the forehead.

Pandia's gaze lingered on the roses for a moment before she turned to her mother, her smile bright like the morning sun reflected in the glistening waters of the Sea. "Thank you, Mother. Have a good day!"

Serenity returned the smile, and giving her daughter a quick squeeze, she headed for the kitchen.

* * *

Exactly 30 minutes after Mercury's call, Serenity stepped into the throne room through the private entrance in the back wall behind the throne. Rounding the dais, she strode toward the main doors, footfalls echoing in the empty room with its abundance of marble. "Mercury, I am ready to meet with you now," she spoke into thin air.

A couple of seconds later the door opened, admitting not just Sailor Mercury, but all four of the Inner Senshi, Angwyn Weaver, and a young man in a Royal Emergency Services forensics uniform. Serenity raised an eyebrow at the unexpected ensemble; upon further reflection, however, the members of the group seemed logical. Angwyn's presence wasn't surprising, as her parents were the subject of the meeting, and judging from the case he carried, the RES technician was bringing the evidence that Mercury had mentioned. The other three senshi, all in civilian clothes, were a bit more unexpected, though considering the way they hovered around Angwyn, Serenity suspected they were there for moral support.

"Come, we will talk in the sitting room," she instructed, leading the group to the smaller alcove in the side of the throne room. She sat in one of the chairs there, and gestured for Angwyn to sit in one of the others. Angwyn complied, looking a bit embarrassed at having been singled out.

"Now," she stated, directing her attention to the technician, "please show us what you have discovered."

The technician swallowed, nodded, and shakily began to fumble with the case's latch. Noticing his nervousness, Mercury briefly touched his arm and said, "Just tell her what you told us yesterday, Jens."

Emboldened by Mercury's support, Jens managed to get the case open and proceeded to present the evidence to the queen. He and Mercury had been up late the night before reanalyzing the attack, and with the knowledge of where the dust had come from, they had been able to piece together a more or less accurate account of what had happened on that fateful evening. Through it all Serenity sat silently and thoughtfully, nodding occasionally but otherwise allowing him to complete his presentation without interruption. Angwyn, for her part, had gotten all of her crying out the night before, and sat still with a determined - almost angry - expression on her face.

When Jens had finished, Serenity sat for a moment with her fingers steepled in front of her mouth, contemplating what she had learned. Finally she commented, "Three incidents is not much to go on, but from what you have shown me there does not seem to be any pattern to these attacks." She turned to Angwyn. "You may be relieved to know, my dear, that most likely your family was not specifically targeted. You need not fear another attack on your person. In fact, I consider your parents heroes for stopping the creatures that attacked them, and preventing them from harming anyone else." Angwyn nodded, but said nothing. She didn't look particularly relieved.

"What concerns me," the queen continued, "is that there is no record of people ever seeing these creatures except for on the few occasions that they have attacked someone. Where are they coming from? Do they have an agenda? Are they even intelligent, or just beasts? We need more information before we can even begin to make a proper threat assessment."

Athena spoke up. "It seems to me that their ability to take human form is reason enough to consider them a significant threat. They've already demonstrated deadly intent. Who knows how many of them are out there, hiding, waiting to attack again?" Juno nodded her agreement.

"As for intelligence," Mercury added, "the attack at the security station in Adalandis seems to indicate that they were gathering information. The incident report stated that the creature had been loitering around the station for some time before it transformed and killed the nearest guard without warning."

Athena nodded. "I suggest that we increase security in the city and especially here in the palace. Perhaps even double the senshi guard around yourself and the princess." Off to the side, Cytheria shot her a glare, clearly not pleased with the idea of pulling double shifts.

Fortunately for Cytheria's social life, Serenity shook her head. "No, that will not be necessary," she answered. "As I said before, the attacks have been random, not targeted. True, one occurred in a security station, but another was against a homeless man in a back alley, and the only attack here on the moon was on a small farm far from the city and palace. Besides, I do not wish to alarm the public, especially with so little to go on. No, for now we must simply remain vigilant. If there is another attack, whether here or on Earth, I wish to know about it as soon as possible. Understood?" When the senshi and Jens all nodded their understanding, Serenity smiled and rose from her seat. "Very good. Thank you for your diligence in this troubling mystery. You are dismissed."

The senshi and Jens all filed out of the sitting area and headed to the throne room doors. Angwyn started to follow, but hesitated after only a few steps. After a couple seconds she turned back toward the queen. "Your Majesty, can I ask you something?"

"Certainly, my dear, what is it?"

"You called my parents heroes. Did you mean that?"

Serenity smiled. "I most certainly did. In each of the attacks on Earth, it took a number of armed security personnel to bring down a single creature. Your parents, however, sacrificed themselves to stop not just one, but at least two of them. In the process they potentially saved a great many lives, yours included."

Angwyn stood silently for a moment in thought, staring down at the carpet of the sitting area without really seeing it. Finally she looked up. "I want to be a hero too."

Serenity raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Angwyn leaned forward in earnest. "Your Majesty, last year I asked you if I could be one of your senshi. Would you please reconsider? My parents may have stopped those monsters, but they payed for it with their lives. If there is a new threat to your kingdom, then I want to be able to fight it and win. I want to be one of the ones to protect you and your subjects. I've gotten to know your Guardian Senshi so well over the past year, and they've become my friends. I want to stand with them in your service." She straightened up and looked directly into Serenity's eyes. "Please, Your Highness. I know the cost. And I still want to be Sailor Sun."

Serenity sighed. She had a feeling that Angwyn was going to ask that. "Angwyn, I can see that you are in earnest, and I respect that. Over the past year your desire to be one of the senshi has not waned. But I can also see that there is more to your request than you have stated."

"What?" asked Angwyn.

"Revenge," Serenity stated simply. "These creatures took your parents from you. Your life has been turned upside-down in the past year. You know that you could not defeat one now, but with the power of a senshi it would be no trouble to pay them back for what they have done to you."

Though outwardly she kept her peace in the queen's presence, inwardly Angwyn bristled at the rebuke. _What__? __That__'__s __not __it __at __all__!_ she thought. _The __monsters __that __killed __my __parents __are __already __dead__. __I __just __want __to __make __sure __it __doesn__'__t __happen __to __anyone __else__. __Though__... __if __one __did __show __up __it __sure __would __feel __good __to __be __able __to __take __it __out __all __by __myself__. __Does __that __mean __I__'__m __consumed __with __revenge__? __Well__, __maybe __consumed __is __too __strong __a __word__..._

As Angwyn debated within herself, the queen continued, "A senshi's heart must be pure, and her motivations perfectly noble. Otherwise, the temptation to use her power selfishly may be too great. It will lead to hurt and ruin, not just for her, but for everyone around her. Even if I needed another senshi, could you honestly say that your motivations for wanting that power are not tainted?"

Every fibre of Angwyn's being wanted to scream that yes, her desire was pure, but under Serenity's scrutinizing gaze she realized that she could do nothing but tell the truth. "No," she answered in a small voice.

Serenity stepped forward, and much to Angywn's surprise, she wrapped the girl in a hug. "I know the hurt you must be feeling," she said softly. "There've been many times over the years that someone has wronged me or someone I care about. Both my daughter and I have been threatened by those who coveted the throne. It would've been so easy to give into anger and hate and just let them have it. But I've always tried to live my life and rule this kingdom by a simple mantra, the same one the senshi have adopted: Love and Justice. If the senshi are truly your role models, then follow that mantra yourself, and seek peace."

Angwyn just stood there, stunned, in Serenity's arms. She wasn't sure what was more shocking: having the queen of the whole solar system embracing her like she was family, or the fact that Serenity had dropped out of her usually formal speech patterns and was speaking to her familiarly, like a friend. Or, for that matter, that she was essentially giving her a major hint as to how to take the first step toward becoming a senshi. Never mind that that probably wasn't the queen's intent, it was still something to go on. She looked up at the taller, silver-haired woman. "Thank you, Your Highness," she said. "I'll do my best."

"Good," Serenity said with a smile, breaking the embrace. "Now you should hurry along. I suspect your friends are waiting for you."

Angwyn bowed, and with a small wave hurried back out to the atrium, her mind awhirl. Mercury was holding the door for her, and closed it behind her as she left the throne room. In addition to Mercury, Cytheria and Jens also stood there waiting for her, Athena and Juno apparently having already gone on ahead. With a start, Angwyn realized that Jens probably wasn't waiting for her, but rather waiting for her to _leave_. The thought made her smile.

Judging from the way Cytheria was glancing at the other senshi and the technician, Angwyn surmised that the blonde was thinking along the same lines. "Come on, Angwyn," Cytheria said, "I'll walk you back to your apartment."

They walked back through the palace complex towards the south wing where Angwyn's apartment was located. Angwyn paid little attention to her surroundings as she reflected on what the queen had said. She still didn't think that her desire for revenge was as strong as Serenity seemed to believe, nor was it a primary driving force in her desire to be a senshi. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny that vengeance wasn't at least one of the reasons she wanted a senshi's power. She would have to work on that: maybe if she could exorcise the negative desires, the queen would finally grant her request!

Cytheria was growing restless waiting for Angwyn to say something, anything, about the events of the past couple days. The girl had been silent since they had left the throne room, and Cytheria's curiosity was getting the best of her. Finally she could stand it no longer. "So, that Jens guy seems kind of cute."

"Hmm," was Angwyn's reply.

"It's really sweet that he's working so hard to solve your case."

"Mm-hmm."

"You might have to fight Minerva for him."

"Huh."

Cytheria sighed and stopped. "Angwyn, you haven't heard a word I said, have you?"

Proving Cytheria's point, Angwyn walked nearly five meters further before finally noticing that her friend was no longer at her side. She looked back and shook her head sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little preoccupied."

"No kidding. Well, that's understandable." Cytheria regarded the red-head for a second. "Come on, let's go to my place. I have something for you."

They turned around and started heading back towards the northwest corner of the palace. Angwyn looked up at her companion. "You got something for me? What is it?"

Cytheria grinned. "Well, it is your birthday tomorrow. Did you think I wouldn't remember to get you a gift?"

"Well, I just didn't want to presume..."

Cytheria waved her off. "Of course I wouldn't forget something for one of my friends! I was going to give it to you tomorrow, but I think now might be a better time."

They turned into a wide corridor with decorative stone walls and a tall crystal roof. It being lunar night, no sunlight shone through. Rather, the crystal itself glowed gently, providing plenty of light both to see and for the assortment of plants that grew in the center of the corridor. The area felt more like a courtyard than a hallway. Angwyn was in awe: this was the private residences of the Queen and her princesses, and the public rarely saw this area. Even having been friends with the Inner Senshi over the past year, Angwyn had never been invited here. She felt honored.

Cytheria stopped before a set of double doors. Reaching for the handle, she hesitated. "Um, I wasn't really expecting company. Would you mind waiting out here for a minute? I'll be right back."

Angwyn was disappointed, but nodded. She caught a glimpse of shoes and shopping bags piled in the entry way before Cytheria shut the door behind her. Angwyn grinned. She knew better than most people that Cytheria was just an ordinary person, with an ordinary set of faults, despite her status and true age. Still, it was strangely comforting to see the entirely mundane mess in the quarters of one of the planetary princesses.

A crash, accompanied by a yelp, sounded through the door. Angwyn's eyebrows raised in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine!" Cytheria's voice came back. Then a more muted, "Aha! There you are." There was a second, smaller crash, some grumbling that Angwyn couldn't make out, and then footsteps approaching the door. Cytheria opened it, her hair somewhat tousled but a victorious grin on her face. She extended a large, flat package wrapped in shimmery green paper to Angwyn. "Here you go!"

"Wow, thanks!" Angwyn took the gift, noting that it was light for its size. She shook it. "Clothes?" she guessed.

Cytheria's grin got a little bigger. She was practically bouncing on her toes in excitement. "Why don't you open it and find out?"

Angwyn glanced around the corridor in surprise. "What, right here? Right now?"

Cytheria nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, why not?"

With big smile, Angwyn tore the paper off to reveal a plain box with silver highlights. It was a bit awkward to handle while standing, but she managed to get the lid off. Then her jaw dropped.

Inside the box lay a white body suit, with a red sailor collar and red skirt. Its chest sported a large yellow bow with a red heart-shaped crystal in its center. A matching yellow bow accented the back of the fuku. Angwyn lifted the senshi uniform out in awe, revealing a pair of red knee-high boots, white elbow-length gloves with red piping, and a golden tiara adorned with a small red crystal. Her mouth opened, but for the moment she was too overcome to speak.

In a flash of light, Cytheria transformed into Sailor Venus. Her own orange-and-white fuku just seemed more appropriate at the moment. "Happy birthday, Angwyn!"

"Th-thanks," Angwyn managed to get out. She set the box down and held the fuku up against her body. She really wished she had a mirror. "This is... amazing. I don't know what to say!"

"Aw, you're welcome," Venus replied. Her smile lessened slightly. "It's just a costume. I know you've dreamed of being a senshi, but you heard what the queen said when you asked her last year. Still, I thought you might like it."

At the mention of the word "dream", Angwyn almost visibly twitched as the images of her recurring nightmare from the previous year came flooding back to her, vivid in spite of the intervening time. She looked again at the fuku with its red skirt and yellow bow. It was a perfect match for the one in her dream. Angwyn's eyes went wide as she realized that she had never described the uniform to Venus. Could this mean... "I _can _be Sailor Sun!" she whispered in awe.

"What?" asked Venus. She was starting to worry about her young friend. She knew Angwyn would like it, but the girl's reaction to the gift seemed a bit extreme.

Angwyn shook her head to clear it. "Nothing. It... it's perfect! Thank you!"

Venus's smile returned. "Let's go back to your place, and you can try it on."

Angwyn nodded enthusiastically. She knelt and placed the fuku back in the box and replaced the lid. Then, on impulse, she pointed her finger at the wrapping paper and concentrated. A small flame flared into life on the edge of the paper; in a manner of seconds there was nothing left but a small pile of ashes and a black spot on the polished stone floor.

Venus shook her head with a chuckle, recognizing the candle-lighting trick that Angwyn had learned just the night before. "The janitor is not going to be happy with you," she admonished lightly.

"I won't tell him if you don't," Angwyn replied. She rose and they started back down the corridor towards her own apartment.

Venus took one last glance at the ashes. It gave her an idea. "Say," she said to Angwyn, "how would you like to play hookie today?"

* * *

Galen Prasinos glanced anxiously at the clock on the classroom wall. Class was scheduled to start in just a couple of minutes; even now the usual stragglers were hurrying into class to take their places at their desks. Yet the one desk he was most interested in, the one directly in front of him, remained conspicuously empty. As each second passed, it seemed increasingly likely that the owner of that desk wasn't going to show.

Galen sighed. It figured. Before today, Angwyn had had near-perfect attendance, and Galen had grown to take her presence in class for granted. Every day he would find himself entranced by that magnificent mane of vivid red hair and its shapely owner. Her smile could make his stomach do somersaults, and yet despite the fact that she was a generally cheerful person, there always seemed to be a slight melancholy just beneath the surface. Rather than detract from her attractiveness, that melancholy gave her an air of mystery. He knew little of her past, only that she had grown up in the country before moving to the palace, and apparently something bad had happened to her at some point. She never spoke about it, and after almost a year in the same homeroom, Angwyn was a mystery that Galen desperately wanted to solve.

Galen considered himself extremely fortunate that Angwyn even talked to him at all. With an average height, average brown hair, and an average face, he was the kind of person that would be overlooked in an empty room. He wasn't helped by the fact that he also had a reserved personality, not really interested in the cliques and social circles that the other royals tended to gravitate towards. While not shy - he had no trouble carrying on a conversation or introducing himself to a stranger - he generally preferred to keep to himself. Which was probably part of the reason why he found Angwyn so appealing, as she avoided the snobbish royals as much as he did.

Not that they would have given her a chance. Angwyn wasn't the only commoner at the Palace Academy, and like most of the other commoners, she was shunned almost universally by the royal girls. Unlike the other commoners, they seemed to actively dislike her. Galen had overheard some of the other girls talking on a few occasions, and had gotten the impression that they were jealous of her friendship with the senshi. He shook his head. He really didn't understand why they insisted on being so petty.

Most of the royal boys, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind that she was a commoner at all. Galen didn't need to hear the locker room talk to understand why.

Sometimes he wondered what was so great about being a member of the nobility, anyway.

He fingered the Rocket-Ball tickets in his pocket as the chime sounded the beginning of the school day. Why did she have to be absent _today_ of all days? It had taken him nearly 2 months to convince himself that he should ask her out, and the Rocket-Ball match was tomorrow, on her birthday. He new asking her to do anything on the evening of her birthday was a huge risk - what if she already had plans? - but he had no control over the league's schedule. And this was a big match, too, pitching last season's unlikely champions from the farm town of Maskelyne in South Tranquility against the current Martian favorites from Nanedi. He hadn't even been sure that he'd be able to get the tickets, but an uncle with a season pass had come through for him at nearly the last minute. He knew she liked Rocket-Ball, and was pretty certain she would at least be interested in going to the match, but if he didn't ask Angwyn today there was a good chance that it would be too late.

Galen firmed his jaw in determination as the teacher finished taking the roll. He wouldn't chicken out. Not this time. He'd just have to pay her a visit after school.

* * *

"You asked her again?"

Angwyn nodded in response to Venus's question. They were in a small transport, flying quickly to the west. Out the window, the rough landscape of the Western regions flashed by, dimly lit by the half-Earth above. Ahead of them, a glow was beginning to illuminate the horizon, marking the edge of the dome which was still lit by Sunlight. Both women were wearing their senshi uniforms. In addition, Angwyn had accessorized her outfit with her bracers.

Venus shook her head. "If I had known you were going to petition Serenity about becoming a senshi this morning, I may have thought twice about giving you the costume. I wasn't trying to encourage you."

Angwyn smiled as she admired her outfit for what must have been the hundredth time in the past hour. "Well then, I'm glad I didn't tell you."

Venus smiled back, but there was a sadness in her eyes. "You put me in a tough spot, you know? You're my friend, and I think it would be wonderful if you could join us. But I have to respect the queen's wishes first. And if she doesn't think you should be a senshi..." She trailed off with an apologetic shrug.

Angwyn looked chagrined. "I'm sorry. I don't want to do that to you. But this is my dream. I can't just give up on it."

"I know," Venus said with a sigh. "For now let's just keep working on getting your magic sensitivity and skill back. We'll worry about the future when it comes."

Angwyn nodded. They flew on in silence for a short while, with the horizon growing increasingly brighter up ahead. "So where exactly are we going, anyway?" Angwyn finally asked.

"There's a piece of land out by the edge of the dome owned by the Mitsura clan. Supposedly they're distantly related to Sailor Pluto, but I don't know how, since they're not royalty. Anyways, for as long as I can remember they've kept it undeveloped, and let us use it for combat practice. I figured it would be a good place to go try to throw a few fireballs."

"But I _can__'__t_ throw fireballs," Angwyn reminded her friend.

"Well, Athena and I have a theory about that. We think you're subconsciously holding back."

Angwyn bristled. "But..."

"Let me finish," Venus interrupted. "Fireballs are dangerous and destructive. At the palace you can't let loose. I've seen your bracers when you and Athena practice your magic. If the brightness of those crystals is any indication, you have plenty of magic potential inside. And Juno's so impressed with your martial arts progress, that she thinks you may be tapping into your ki to improve your performance. All of us agree that you can probably do more than you realize. You just need an environment where you can let go and not worry about damaging anything."

"You really think so?" Angwyn asked, hope evident in her voice.

"You bet!" Venus nodded. "At least, I think there's a good possibility," she amended with a little more caution.

"Wow," Angwyn muttered, staring at her bracers. "You know, you may be right." She clenched her fists. "Let's give it a try!"

"That's the spirit!" Venus cheered. She nodded out the window. "We're here."

Angwyn glanced up, immediately squinting as the Sun, directly ahead just above the horizon, shone in her eyes. Down below the landscape had leveled out into a grassy flatland, interrupted sporadically by the occasional hillock and the overgrown hints of a few ancient craters. That surprised Angwyn: pretty much everywhere else in the dome, all traces of craters had been erased centuries ago, as people had cleared the land for farming or development.

Off in the distance to the north, she could just make out a small community of homes. She lost sight of it quickly, as Venus was already dropping altitude, and not just because she was preparing to land, either. Above and ahead, the translucent dome quickly descended to the ground, crowding down upon what had been their flight altitude. Where it met the moon's surface, the contrast was dramatic. Inside the dome, the grass was green and the landscape rolling and gentle. Even the few craters that remained were shallow, smooth, and covered with grass and other plant life. Outside, however, the landscape was grey and barren, the dusty surface pockmarked with countless craters of various sizes. Without the atmosphere, weather, and gravity that the dome provided, the rims of the larger craters remained sharp, leaving long black shadows in the setting Sun.

Angwyn's breath caught in her throat as memories washed over her of her family's camping trip several years ago near the dome's northern edge. Her emotions already raw from the events of the last couple days, she found herself unprepared for the onslaught. She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the unbidden tears that were threatening to escape.

Fortunately, Venus was too focused on landing the transport to notice her friend's sudden distress. By the time they touched down, Angwyn had managed to regain control. She surreptitiously wiped the moisture from her eyes as Venus shut down the craft and opened the hatch.

Angwyn took a deep breath as the fresh air rushed in and brushed her face. For just a moment she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation. It wasn't like she stayed indoors all the time at the palace; on the contrary, she spent a fair amount of her free time outside. But even on the expansive grounds of the palace, there was still an unmistakable hint of civilization that permeated the air. This, on the other hand... this was fresh. This was _nature_. She hadn't realized just how much she had missed it until it had hit her. Even better, the memories of home that came with it were happy ones. Rather than reigniting her recent distress, she felt... peace.

"Ahem," Venus said, breaking her reverie.

Angwyn smiled and climbed out of the transport. Stretching her legs, she glanced around at her surroundings. From the ground it was apparent that the landscape wasn't quite as untouched as it had appeared from the air. Nearby was a small stump, splintered and burnt. A straight, deep trench in the ground had obviously not been formed naturally. Outside the dome lay the remains of numerous boulders and rocks that had been shattered by powerful blasts. And scattered randomly around the area were a number of meter-wide dead spots, where the grass and weeds had not reclaimed the exposed dirt.

Venus noticed Angwyn examining one of the spots curiously. "Pluto's Dead Scream," she explained. "It takes a while for things to grow back from one of those."

Angwyn unconsciously retreated a step. "Yipe," she muttered softly. Turning back to Venus, she asked, "So what's your plan?"

"Well, I thought we would start with some meditation. Really get in touch with your center and be aware of your ki and magic, you know?"

"Fun," Angwyn commented dryly.

"After that we'll move on to some kata to loosen up and get the energy flowing," Venus continued, ignoring Angwyn's sarcasm. "These are new for you, and a bit advanced. If you can keep your focus, they should help you to consciously channel your ki into your actions. I don't know if it will work, but I hope they'll help you channel your magic, too."

Angwyn looked interested now. "That sounds neat."

"Then we spar," Venus concluded with a twinkle in her eye. "And don't hold back. Give it all you've got and try to mix some magic into your attacks. Don't worry, you won't hurt me."

Angwyn returned the grin, chuckling. "Yeah, let's do it!"

Nodding, Venus found a nice patch of short grass and knelt down, her upper body upright but relaxed.

Angwyn's grin faded. "Right, meditation first." She knelt as well, facing Venus. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as her mother had once taught her, clearing her mind of distracting thoughts. One of which was just how boring meditation could be. "Okay, I'm ready."

* * *

Three hours later, Angwyn was far from bored. Gasping for breath, she dove out of the way as a cry of "Crescent Beam!" rang out from across the field. Less than a second later, a golden ray of light passed inches from her back, blowing a small hole in the dirt beyond. Venus had upped the ante in their sparring, introducing magic attacks and forcing Angwyn to put some distance between the two of them. Angwyn's options were pretty limited at this point: either go purely on the defensive, or learn how to throw some magic back in a hurry. Unfortunately, her attempts to manifest her magic weren't going so well, as Venus wasn't giving her a whole lot of time to focus. She was just glad that Venus had scaled back her signature attack so that it wasn't truly dangerous.

Just because it wouldn't injure her didn't mean the Crescent Beam didn't hurt, though. A lot.

Angwyn came out of her roll into a kneeling position. This just wasn't working; she was tired, and wearing herself out wasn't going to help her call forth the magic that she could feel humming inside of her. "Yield!" she called out, raising her hands to end the contest before Venus blasted her onto her rear end again.

Venus jogged over to Angwyn and extended her hand to help the dirty, tired girl to her feet. Angwyn glared at Venus' near-spotless uniform. The blonde wasn't even breathing hard.

"How do you stay so clean through all that?" She wiped at the grass clinging to her own fuku. "It's not fair."

Venus just laughed. "Centuries of practice. A little senshi magic doesn't hurt, either." She glanced at Angwyn's bracers, which were glowing steadily. "Speaking of magic..."

Angwyn took a few deep breaths to bring her heart rate down and get her breathing under control before replying. "Well, the bracers are working: I can definitely feel it. Your idea seemed to work, by the way. I'm pretty sure I was using ki in the sparring there. I never could have lasted this long without it. And being aware of that helped me be more aware of my star crystal and magic. I can feel it in there, but I'm still having a hard time using it."

"Hmm," pondered Venus, tapping her cheek in thought. "I suppose that's progress, at least."

"Yeah, I just couldn't focus with you shooting at me," Angwyn explained. "I feel like I'm so close... I just need a few minutes to really concentrate."

Venus nodded and stepped back to avoid being a distraction.

Angwyn took a deep breath and closed her eyes, turning her concentration inward. She focused on her core, and in little time recognized the cool flow of her ki. Underneath it all was the steady warmth of magic, with what she now knew to be her star crystal at its focus. To her mind's eye, it seemed as if small flickers of the magic would break away and be caught up in the flow of ki as it circulated through her body. Ignoring a powerful sense of déjà vu, Angwyn began to _pull_ on the warmth.

At first it seemed like nothing happened. Unlike the first time she had attempted this, the magic stayed fast. She wasn't going to just give up though, not when she was this close. Sweat began to break out on her forehead as she struggled to maintain the pressure on her star crystal. Then, slowly but surely, the warmth began to move. The tiny flickers of magic that had been mixing into her ki flow turned into a small trickle. It was unfocused and too little to use for much of anything - except maybe lighting some candles - and she was quickly tiring out. Doggedly, she refused to let up, mentally keeping the pressure on the magic flow.

Suddenly the flow began to increase, as if an invisible dam had suddenly reached its limit and given way. "Yes!" she cried out loud, as for the first time in almost a year the magic began to flow freely once again. Her exultation quickly turned to worry however, then to outright fear, as the magic surged forth uncontrolled. She was no expert, but she was pretty sure that allowing the energy to fill her body unchecked would be a Bad Thing. Images of self-immolation from her nightmare of the year before danced across her imagination.

"No-no-no-no-no," she panicked, quickly releasing her pull on her star crystal. Much to her relief, the flow of magic obediently ceased, but there was still the matter of the potentially dangerous amount of energy still charging her body. "Come on," she said, gritting her teeth as she lifted her hands in the air, mentally struggling to bring the unruly magic under control. "Channel it... feel it..." Her eyes snapped open, and she swung one arm down, pointing her cupped hand at the ground.

"FIREBALL!"

The magic rushed out along the path she had provided, manifesting itself as a foot-wide ball of flame that blasted out of her hand and instantly reduced an unsuspecting clump of weeds into a smoking pile of ash.

A few meters away, Sailor Venus let out a whoop. "You got it!" she cried out, clapping vigorously. "I knew you could!"

Angwyn lowered her hands, blowing out her breath. Suddenly she felt exhausted. "Yeah," she said with a small smile. "I think it will be easier next time, too. At least I hope so."

Venus stepped over and put an arm around Angwyn's shoulders. "I think your mother would be proud."

Angwyn's smile faded a bit. She lifted her arms again to look at her bracers, the only physical reminder she had left of her parents and her old life. "I miss her," she replied. "Dad too."

"I know. They were heroes," Venus said softly.

For a minute Angwyn just closed her eyes and said nothing. Unconsciously fingering the skirt of her costume, she finally asked, "Why can't I be a hero too?"

Venus sighed. Once again she found herself torn between loyalty to her friend and loyalty to her queen. There was really no contest, but that still didn't make her answer any easier. "Because your safety is more important," she stated.

"I know," Angwyn grumbled. "The queen told me this morning that without a pure heart, the power of a senshi could be dangerous for both me and those around me. I just don't know if I can ever really stop hating those monsters that killed my parents."

Venus blinked. She had been thinking more along the lines of Angwyn's physical protection. One of the original reasons for bringing Angwyn into the palace after all, besides Serenity's natural compassion of course, was to keep her safe. While Venus was relieved that Serenity no longer felt that Angwyn might be in danger, there was still a chance, however unlikely, that Angwyn may yet have been the target of the attack. Venus wasn't privy to all of the queen's justifications for her repeated denials, but she did know one thing: appointment as a senshi would make Angwyn a public celebrity - and a potential target once again - overnight. She hadn't considered the risk that Angwyn's well-hidden bitterness might cause if she possessed the power of a senshi. Once again Venus was struck with Serenity's wisdom.

Giving Angwyn's shoulder a tug, Venus steered her back towards the transport. "Come on," she said. "Let's go home."

Galen walked nervously down a hallway in the south wing of the palace, eyes flicking from one nameplate to the next as he passed the doors to each apartment. He'd been unable to discover exactly where Angwyn lived, and so was reduced to simply walking the halls of the residential areas, scanning names and generally feeling like an idiot. Despite his earlier resolution to not chicken out, the urge to just give up and forget the whole thing was growing with each door he passed.

_Cirone__... __Kondratyev__... __Gregory__..._

_No __way_, he chided himself. _You__'__ve __already __made __up __your __mind __that __you__'__re __going __to __ask __her __to __this __match__, __so __that__'__s __what __you__'__re __going __to __do__. __Besides__, __you __already __have __the __tickets__. __What __would __you __tell __your __uncle __if __you __didn__'__t __use __them__?_ He tried to convince himself that it wasn't even a date: just a couple of friends going to a sporting event. He didn't have much luck.

_Howell__... __Grainger__... __Mullenix__... __Weaver__..._

He abruptly stopped walking as he realized that he had finally found his destination. For a moment he just stood there, staring at the door. Then, slowly, he lifted his hand. Much more rapidly, he put it back down again. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his courage, lifted his hand once more, and quickly rapped on the door before he could lose his nerve.

He was almost relieved when there was no answer.

A bit more confidently this time, he knocked on the door again. Still no one answered the knock, and he scratched his head, wondering what to do next. Should he come back later? Or should he just give up on the whole idea and not risk making a fool of himself?

His internal debate was derailed as voices sounded down the hall. He glanced that direction just as two women rounded the corner, headed toward him. His eyes went wide as he realized that he was in the presence of not one, but two of the queen's senshi. Venus and Mars, judging by the colors on their uniforms. He quickly bowed his head out of respect.

The senshi's chatter stopped as they drew near to Galen, as did the click of their heels on the stone floor. "Galen?"

Galen's heart skipped a beat. One of them had spoken to him! Wondering how she had known his name, he answered, "Yes?"

"What are you doing here?" the senshi asked.

Ah, man, why did she have to ask that? Slowly Galen looked up at the senshi that had spoken. "Well, um, you see, Sailor..." He trailed off as it occurred to him that Sailor Mars didn't wear knee-high red boots. For that matter, she was taller and had a dark blue bow, not yellow. And her hair wasn't red...

The blood drained from Galen's face. He really should have recognized that voice...

"Angwyn?"

* * *

**Author****'****s ****Notes**

This chapter's title is in reference to 1 Corinthians 13:13. Also, several of my college instructors from oh-so-long ago got cameos in this chapter. Or at least their names did.

Given my typical lag time between chapters, it looks like poor Galen's going to be left hanging there for a while. Will he succeed in wooing our heroine? He may not realize it, but with the Senshi of Love on the scene and itching to get involved in Angwyn's love life, he may have a better than average chance. Time will tell.

I always enjoy when I get to write scenes from the webcomic. There aren't a lot of flashback scenes, but I got to do two of them in this chapter. The first was when Venus gave Angwyn the costume, from comic chapter 7 page 28. That scene was actually a little confusing to many people, as the Sailor Ranko novel had made it clear that Serenity had only made Sailor Sun an official senshi posthumously. If I recall correctly, Becky clarified in a forum post that Angwyn's comment of "I _can_ be Sailor Sun!" was more to reassure herself than to repeat a royal declaration. The second scene was when Angwyn finally fired off a fireball, from comic chapter 8 page 5. That scene took up a whole page, and gave me a lot more dialog to work with. Still, comics are a purely visual medium, so it's fun to explore what's happening "behind the scene" as I convert it into prose.

At the beginning of the chapter I described Serenity's "browlace" in some detail. There's a reason for that; not a big one, but there is a reason. I initially had her placing jewels in her odango, until I looked at some artwork again and realized that she did not wear jewelry in her hair. One thing I did notice, however, was the dots that extend from both sides of the moon on her forehead, disappearing under her bangs. Those are unique to Queen Serenity, and do not appear on Usagi or Chibiusa. While it's possible the moon and the dots could be a magical sigil just like on all the other characters, they could just as plausibly be a piece of jewelry. That met my requirement for royal jewelry, something Serenity would wear in place of a crown, and the browlace was born.

On a final note, this is one of the few chapters that doesn't feature a scene from Earth. As the events on Earth, particularly regarding Beryl and Endymion, are crucial to this point in the Moon Kingdom's history, I like to show how things are progressing there as sort of an ongoing side story. Occasionally the events of one chapter will run right into the next, however, and it makes more sense to keep the focus on Angwyn. She is the main character, after all. If you're a fan of Beryl, though, she will get another shot in the spotlight in the next chapter.

* * *

**Copyright ****Notice**

The characters and stories of _Sailor __Moon_ and _Ranma__ ½_ are Copyright © Naoko Takeuchi and Rumiko Takahashi, respectively, and are used here without permission or license.

No claims to the above copyrights are made by the author of this work.

This work is for non-commercial use ONLY, and is produced for the enjoyment of fans only.

This work is the expression of the author and the depiction of the _Sailor __Moon_ and _Ranma__ ½_ characters herein are in no way represented to be a part of _Sailor __Moon_ or _Ranma__ ½_ as depicted by the original authors and copyright holders.


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